Any architect will tell you how important structure is to keeping any project upright. Whether it’s as simple as a house of cards or as complicated as a skyscraper, the right supports need to be in place to absorb and properly direct all the forces within. If something is off, problems arise. Now think of yourself as a building that moves. The forces against your body are constantly shifting—as you walk, run, stand, sit—and most of the time, your body is well built to keep everything on the level. But what happens when something is abnormal in your foot structure?
Turn to Sunshein Podiatry. Since 1991, we've guided patients in Greater Dayton through the blueprint of their feet and helped them reestablish a firm foundation of proper support and confidence. Here's what you need to know about abnormal foot structures and available treatment.
What Happens When Your Arches Are Too High or Low?
Our feet are remarkably engineered to support our body weight and keep us moving forward. At the center of this design are the arches—structures that play a critical role in how we stand, walk, and adapt to the world beneath us.
Running from the heel to the base of the toes, the arches help absorb impact when our feet strike the ground and distribute pressure evenly as we move. They also provide balance and stability, especially when we’re walking on uneven surfaces. When arches function as they should, they protect not only the feet, but also the ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.
However, arches don’t always fall into an ideal range. When they’re too high or too low, the way forces travel through the body can change—often leading to discomfort, fatigue, or injury over time.
High Arches
Also known as cavus foot, this condition limits the foot’s natural ability to absorb shock. A healthy arch slightly flattens with each step, helping cushion impact. With high arches, the foot tends to remain rigid, placing extra stress on certain areas—particularly the heel and the ball of the foot.
People with high arches often experience pain while standing or walking and are more prone to issues such as hammertoes, claw toes, ankle instability, and thick calluses caused by uneven pressure distribution.
Low Arches
Low arches—commonly called flat feet—occur when the arch collapses or appears nearly flat against the ground. While flat feet often absorb shock well, the foot may roll inward excessively during movement, a pattern known as overpronation.
Overpronation can disrupt alignment throughout the lower body, leading to pain in the arch, heel, ankles, knees, or even hips. Over time, this altered motion can increase strain on muscles and joints that weren’t designed to handle the extra workload.
How Do These Arch Differences Develop?
In many cases, arch structure is inherited. If high or low arches run in your family, prevention may not be possible. In other situations, arch shape can change over time. The arch relies on a complex system of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Weakness, injury, or strain within this system can lead to gradual changes. Aging, excess weight, arthritis, diabetes, nerve conditions, or past injuries can all contribute to fallen arches or altered foot mechanics.
Children are also commonly born without visible arches, which typically develop as they grow. While this is usually normal, monitoring foot development over time is important to ensure arches form properly and complications don’t arise.
How Do Our Centerville Podiatrists Help You With Abnormal Foot Structures?
First, some good news: a structural abnormality doesn't always mean there's specifically a problem. If you have flat feet or high arches, but don’t feel any pain or other undesirable effects from them, then treatment isn’t necessary. It’s a bit like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s not a normal shape, but it’s stable. Attempts to “fix” it only made it worse, so they’re not going to try anything drastic again until it’s needed!
However, if pain or other problems are a factor, then steps should be taken to manage these symptoms. Since an imbalance of forces is typically an underlying cause of problems, the corrective abilities of custom orthotics are a frequent consideration for treatment. At Sunshein Podiatry, we design medical orthotics to specifically address your needs, providing the support and balance that can relieve pain not only in the feet but also in other areas, such as the hips and knees.
When an abnormal foot structure contributes to other soft tissue injuries, such as heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis, our advanced MLS Laser therapy for pain can be an effective component of a plan for accelerated healing and relief.
As with any infrastructure, the sooner a problem is identified and addressed, the easier it is to avoid more severe problems down the road. Just look at our roads and bridges for proof! If you have been suffering from arch pain, heel pain, or ankle pain that just hasn’t improved, it’s time to get to the root of the problem. Our Centerville office is always happy to schedule an appointment with new patients.