Too Much Arch?

tonic

Guest
#1
I've always had high arches in my feet, but since starting barefoot running, they've popped up significantly to the point of ridiculous. After running for miles on pavement, I can see just a thin strip of dirt on the sole of my mid right foot and NOTHING on my mid left foot -- just the ball/toes and heel are dirty. When running, I can feel my heel touching down yet somehow the mid-part of my left foot does not. I assume at some point my foot will releax completely into each step, though as far as I can tell, my feet seem perfectly okay with this and I have no trouble with either of them. When walking, I make a completely normal footprint (though still obviously highly-arched). I've tested this by running and walking through puddles too.

I'm going on the assumption that my foot is doing what it wants and needs to do, and I know that barefoot running increases the arch. But is such an extreme arch normal? I'm looking forward to a live barefoot clinic in another month, but wanted to go ahead and ask this question of the resident docs anyway. It's starting to concern me a bit. I'd like to prevent an injury if I am actually putting myself at risk.

Thank you!
 
#2
I'm as far from being a foot

I'm as far from being a foot doc as one can possibly be, with the exception of maybe an ophthalmologist or neurosurgeon, but I believe you are confusing high medial arches with evidence of a lateral arch.

One can have very high arches and still show the print or dirt on the lateral border of the sole, but a different arch, the lateral arch, is what is responsible for your observation. You probably have restored your's to it's intended height, while most people don't really have all that much of one.
 
#3
From DNEChris's post on the

From DNEChris's post on the old site:

A friend of mine has a very high lateral arch and it does not impede her at all. I recall that we ran about 13 miles and she still had about 4 inches of perfectly clean skin between the ball of her foot and her heel on both feet. She had no problems adapting to Barefoot running!

She reckons that her arch, and foot strength, came from practicing ballet for 10 or more years.
 
#4
I think you'll be just fine,

I think you'll be just fine, tonic. Just keep listening to your feet and paying attention to any discomfort or pain. Your feet are getting stronger and more functional. Follow the principles of slow pregression and great form and you will be ok. When it comes to feet (and any other body part) there is a wide variation of "normal".
 
#5
Thanks ya'll! This helps a

Thanks ya'll! This helps a lot. I'll relax about it and let my feet do the walking and talking. I thought my feet were becoming odd and possibly dangerous, but good to know they're just in great shape. :)
 
#6
I would think that if the

I would think that if the changes you are experiencing with your feet are not causing you pain, then there would be nothing to worry about.
 
#7
Hi, I hope that I can help you with your concern.

Its not whether your feet are flat or high arched its about the spring suspension system and the muscles that support it. The spring suspension system springs you off the ground providing protection from impacts of walking and running.

Also the spring suspension system recycles energy by springing you off of the ground rather than banging you into the ground. These muscles have long tendons, which are elastic providing free elastic energy that will allow movements to be more efficient.

The key is that if the spring mechanism weakens it can stiffen or lock which turns into a lever also known as foot lock mechanism, which is less efficient and cannot protect you as well from impacts.

Less efficiency equals chronic fatigue, inability to protect you from chronic impacts, which causes pain.

Read these articles by DR. James Stoxen; about the spring suspension system with self-help hands on treatments and exercises to help with the spring system mechanism.

Foot Lock! What You Get From Standing Too Long And How To Prevent It

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/03/31/video-tutorial-159-foot-lock-what-you-get-from-standing-all-day-how-it-negatively-affects-your-health-and-how-to-prevent-it/

Foot Eversion

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/04/...ning-exercises-of-the-human-foot-in-eversion/

Dr James Stoxen DC, President, Team Doctors The Barefoot Running Doctor



Supination or Pronation

What Is Foot Pronation and Supination? Is it Good Or Bad? How can we strengthen our feet to avoid over supination or over pronation?

This is a commonly misunderstood concept and subject to debate by professionals. Dr Stoxen has lectured around the world on how the body absorbs impacts for years.

This is his best explanation of how it works and some articles that he has written.

When you impact the ground during walking or running, the force of the impact collisions are absorbed by the spring, but the efficiency of that process is dependent, in part, on how the foot rolls when it touches the ground.

The roll should distribute weight across the foot so it is absorbed gradually, avoiding shock to the skeleton. It rolls from supination (the outside of the foot) to pronation (the inside).

That roll has to be performed within a safe range, meaning if it starts rolling too far on the outside or too far to the inside, it causes the lower leg limb to twist, imposing abnormal stress and strain through the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the knee, hip, ankle, lower back, lower spine and up through the head.

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Safe_Range.jpg

The spring suspension muscles in the arch of the foot must be strong in order to prevent over rolling (over supination or over pronation) to maintain the foot in a safe range.

Your spring suspension system muscles that support your arches fatigued and weakened. The arch spring eventually collapsed and locked and that led to further abnormalities in the way you move, imposing stress and strain on all muscles, ligament joints and bones. Eventually, the wear and tear on every joint in the body promotes the inflammation.

“It’s a three step process: we unlock you, we strengthen the spring and eventually supercharge it,” he said. “That’s a sizeable journey but we start by identifying all the weaknesses in your mechanism.”
Read this article Dr Stoxen wrote

What Is Foot Pronation and Supination? Is it Good Or Bad?

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/03/...nation-and-foot-supination-is-it-good-or-bad/

A counter support shoe is usually required to start the strengthening process in conjunction with spring suspension system exercises and carefully constructed running drills.

To learn how counter support shoes can maintain your foot in the safe range without sabotaging the spring loading that functions to spring you back from impacts and improves efficiency in walking and running by recycling natural energy through the spring read this article:

Video Tutorial #97 On Your Feet All Day? Fatigued? Achy? Over Pronation? I Recommend Footwear with Extended Medial Counters

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/05/11/video-tutorial-97-do-you-need-a-good-counter-shoe-why/

Most importantly for your long-term health, here are some self-tests & exercises to help you reduce over pronation and over supination from impacts during walking and running.

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/06/18/video-tutorial-28-the-impact-absorbing-landing-muscles-of-the-human-spring-mechanism-testing-and-training-the-spring-suspension-muscles/

I hope to network with more people who are interested in this subject. Please leave a comment in the articles to begin a exchange of thoughts.

Thank you for a nicely written article!

Dr James Stoxen DC, President, Team Doctors The Barefoot Running Doctor
 
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