High Arches
The foot is a great place to look when attempting to identify how someone moves. Near constant contact with the ground puts the foot in a unique position, in that it takes the shape of the forces it contends with on a step-by-step basis. A person’s center of gravity will have a strong influence on how the foot behaves and identifying center of gravity goes a long way in solving movement related problems.
Briefly, the foot assumes two primary positions within a walking cycle when it comes to the arch. When the foot first strikes the ground, the arch is high, as body weight gets shifted over to that foot the arch flattens, and once we start to push off from the ground the arch regains its height. If we want to determine the position a person is in, we can take a bird’s eye view and look at the arch height. A lower arch would indicate they are putting more body weight through their arch, whereas a higher arch would indicate the surface area of the foot is reduced, suggesting they are “lighter” on their feet.
When I assess a client’s foot position, if they are on the high arch side of things, they tend to be in the pushing off phase of walking. A number of measurements can be taken to cross-reference this assessment, but by and large that is what I see in the clinic. Pushing off involves higher force production and a recoiling of tissues like tendons, leading to greater stiffness. Imagine elasticity is increasing from the time the foot hits the ground, to the time right before push off. Once pushing off initiates, the rubber band-like nature of connective tissues fulfils the propulsion forward. Center of gravity shifts to the outside edge of the foot before moving toward the big toe and if this is someone’s position, they may very well have a bunion to go along with a high arch. The predominant position of the body is now leaning forward and outward. Localized stresses can develop, say on the outside edge of the foot, where stress fractures tend to occur or corns develop.
A high arch is a tell. It reveals where the body puts force down into the ground and aids in identifying global movement strategies. Once known, exercises and movements can be prescribed to shift the center of gravity in a way that reduces the arch height and promotes greater accessibility to alternative positions. A flat foot and a high arch are not problematic in their own right; in fact they are necessary aspects of walking. If they become the sole mode of movement in the foot, that is when issues can arise.
Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist
