How To Know If You Have High Arches Or Flat Feet - And Why It Matters

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Have you ever looked at your wet footprint after stepping onto a pool deck? It can tell you whether you have flat feet, high arches or neutral arches.

"It's called the wet test," says Nicole Brouyette, DPM, a podiatrist at Henry Ford Health. "Get your feet wet and step on a piece of cardboard or brown paper bag. If you have flat feet, your footprint will show the entire outline of your foot - it sort of looks like how a child would draw their feet. If you have high arches, you'll only see the heel and ball of your foot. If you have neutral arches, you'll see the heel and ball of your foot, along with a bit of your instep."

It matters what type of arch you have, because flat feet and high arches can sometimes cause painful conditions to develop. Here, Dr. Brouyette shares how to care for flat feet, high arches and even neutral arches.

Flat Feet

You can be born with flat feet - or you can develop flat feet as you age (simply due to gravity).

Issues that arise from flat feet: Having flat feet causes you to pronate, which occurs when your feet roll inward while walking. "Pronating puts a lot of tension on your calf muscles and Achilles tendons and causes them to tighten," says Dr. Brouyette. "This can lead to plantar fasciitis, which occurs when the thick band of tissue that connects your heels to your toes becomes inflamed, causing pain."

You can also develop Achilles tendonitis, which causes pain, swelling and inflammation, along with posterior tibial tendonitis (because the tendon that holds up your arches has fallen).

Treatment for flat feet: The first step - pun intended - is to find shoes that are made for flat feet. "Shoes for flat feet will help lift the tendons that have fallen," says Dr. Brouyette. "They usually come with medium-sized arch inserts."

Along with wearing the proper shoes, maintaining a regular stretching regimen is important. "People who stretch routinely - regardless of their foot type - have fewer foot issues because they don't allow their tendons to tighten," says Dr. Brouyette.

Strengthening your ankles, legs and glutes is also important, she adds, because feet issues affect everything from the hips down.

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers, along with cortisone injections, may offer short-term pain relief. But if none of these options work in the long-term - as flat foot is a progressive disease - surgery might be necessary.

"I always allow at least 12 months to try the above conservative treatments before opting for surgery," says Dr. Brouyette. "Sometimes it's inevitable: your tendons have failed, you're getting older, your arches have collapsed and this has led to arthritic changes that require surgical intervention."

Surgery consists of a flat foot reconstruction, where bones are added to lengthen the sides of your feet so your arches slide back into neutral. "Because flat feet cause tight Achilles tendons, we also lengthen their Achilles tendons during this procedure. We're trying to restore balance to the foot."

High Arches

If you have high arches, you were born with them. You can't really develop high arches unless you have a neuromuscular condition or have suffered from a stroke, says Dr. Brouyette.

Issues that arise from high arches: High arches cause you to supinate, or roll your feet outward while walking. "Every time you take a step, your entire body weight is trying to flatten your high arches," says Dr. Brouyette. "If there's nothing supporting your feet, all these little joints in your midfoot start to become problematic. Over time you can get midfoot arthritis and plantar fasciitis.

"And as you age, you get less fat on the bottom of your feet, so you end up walking on the bones of your forefeet and heels. They start to become callused and painful because you are basically walking on bones. It's called fat pad atrophy."

Treatment for high arches: Wear shoes that are made for high arches, as they offer more arch support. "There's also a shoe trick you can try," says Dr. Brouyette. "Don't tighten your laces across the highest part of your arches, because it impinges the nerves and causes nerve pain. It can even cause your feet to go numb, especially if you are a runner."

As with flat feet, a good stretching and strengthening regimen is also important, and over-the-counter inflammatory pain relievers, along with cortisone injections, can also be used. If needed, a cavus foot reconstruction will lower your arches, which consists of taking out bone from the heels and forefeet.

Neutral Arches

If you have neutral arches, your feet are well-balanced. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't care for them.

"With age, if your tendons aren't supported, your arches can flatten," says Dr. Brouyette. "This is why even if you have perfect feet, you need shoes with some sort of heel and arch support. Avoid really flat shoes and flip flops that can bend in half - there's just no support there. You can find shoes to support neutral arches and keep your feet in shape."

Reviewed by Nicole Brouyette, DPM, a foot and ankle surgeon who sees patients for podiatric needs at Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit, Henry Ford Medical Center - Fairlane and Henry Ford Medical Center - Pierson Clinic.

Categories : MoveWell

Tags : Orthopedics, Nicole Brouyette