High arches can make your feet ache, your ankles feel unsteady and finding comfortable shoes a constant challenge. Because a high-arched foot doesn’t flatten as much as it should when you walk, it absorbs shock poorly and loads the heel and ball of the foot heavily. At East Gosford Podiatry, we help people with high arches reduce pain, improve stability and stay active, with treatment built around your foot and the cause behind it.

What are high arches (cavus foot)?

High arches, known medically as cavus foot or pes cavus, describe a foot with an arch that is raised higher than usual. When you stand, most of your weight goes through the heel and the ball of the foot, with little contact through the middle.

This concentrated pressure, combined with a stiffer foot that doesn’t cushion impact well, can lead to pain, calluses, toe deformities and repeated ankle sprains. High arches can affect one or both feet. Some people have them all their lives without much trouble, while for others they gradually become more pronounced and more painful.

What causes high arches?

Finding the cause matters, because it affects whether the arch is likely to change over time and how it should be treated.

Inherited foot shape

Many people simply inherit a high-arched foot type. In these cases the arch usually stays stable throughout life, although it can still cause pain, instability and footwear problems.

Nerve and muscle conditions

High arches are often linked to conditions that affect the nerves or muscles controlling the foot. The most common is Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited nerve condition that causes muscle weakness in the feet and lower legs, often along with claw toes. Other causes include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal conditions and previous stroke.

Injury

A past fracture, a severe ankle sprain or damage to a nerve in the leg (such as the peroneal nerve) can upset the balance of muscles around the foot and pull it into a higher-arched position.

A high arch that is getting worse, or that appears in only one foot, should always be assessed. It can be the first sign of an underlying nerve or muscle condition, and your podiatrist may recommend a review with your GP or a neurologist.

Symptoms of high arches

Symptoms vary from person to person and often depend on how high and how stiff the arch is. Common problems include:

• Pain in the ball of the foot (metatarsalgia) from increased pressure on the forefoot
• Heel pain, especially after walking or standing for long periods
• Calluses and corns under the ball of the foot, the heel and the outer edge of the foot
• Ankle instability, with the foot tending to roll outwards and frequent ankle sprains
• Claw toes or hammer toes, which rub on shoes and press into the ground
• Pain along the outer edge of the foot from walking more on the outside of the foot
• Difficulty finding shoes that fit comfortably over a high instep

For people with diabetes or reduced sensation, pressure points under the foot can break down into ulcers, so regular foot checks are especially important.

How are high arches assessed?

A thorough assessment helps us understand what’s driving your symptoms and whether the arch is flexible or rigid. Your podiatrist will:

• Examine your foot shape, joint movement and muscle strength
• Check sensation and reflexes, to look for signs of nerve involvement
• Watch how you stand and walk, including how your feet and ankles move
• Test whether the arch and heel position are flexible, which helps guide the type of orthotic and footwear you need
• Look at your footwear and the wear patterns on your shoes
• Recommend X-rays or a referral to your GP or a specialist where needed