People with high arches, also known as cavus foot, have a unique set of foot and ankle conditions that require special attention and care. High arches can lead to a variety of problems, including pain, instability, and increased risk of injury (Foot Health Facts).  It is important for people with high arches to take steps to properly care for their feet to prevent these issues.

1. Wear the right shoes: Wearing shoes that provide adequate support and stability is crucial for people with high arches. Look for shoes with a sturdy heel counter and a firm midsole. Also, a well-cushioned sole is important to provide extra shock absorption. Avoid shoes with a high heel or those that are too flexible.
2. Use orthotics: Orthotics, or shoe inserts, can help correct the alignment of the foot and provide extra support to the arch. They can be purchased over-the-counter or custom-made by a podiatrist. Custom-made orthotics are tailored to the specific shape and needs of your foot, providing the best support and stability.
3. Strengthen the muscles in your feet and legs: Strong muscles in your feet and legs can help support your arch and reduce pain (Cleveland Clinic).  Try exercises such as calf raises, toe raises, and ankle strengthening exercises.
4. Stretching: Stretching the muscles in your feet and legs can also help prevent pain and injury. Try stretching your calf muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
5. Rest and Ice: If you experience pain or discomfort due to high arches, rest and Ice the affected area to reduce inflammation and pain.
6. Consider physical therapy: A physical therapist can help you create a personalized exercise program to help prevent pain and injury.
7. Regular Foot check-up: Regular check-ups with a podiatrist are essential for people with high arches. A podiatrist can help identify any potential problems and provide the appropriate treatment.

High arches can also lead to problems such as hammertoes, calluses, and increased risk of stress fractures. It is important to address these issues as soon as they are identified to prevent them from becoming more serious problems (WebMD).

In addition to the above measures, people with high arches should also take care to protect their feet during physical activities. This may include wearing appropriate footwear and using orthotics during sports and exercise. It is also important to avoid activities that put excessive stress on the feet, such as running on hard surfaces or participating in high-impact sports.

It is also important to note that High arches are congenital and inherited, and the condition can be present from birth (Healthline) and cannot be altered or corrected with exercises or insoles. This means that people with high arches will have to take extra care of their feet for their entire lives.

In summary, people with high arches have unique foot and ankle conditions that require special attention and care. Wearing the right shoes, using orthotics, strengthening the muscles in your feet and legs, stretching, rest and ice, physical therapy and regular check-ups with a podiatrist can all help prevent pain and injury. It is also important to protect the feet during physical activities and to address any problems as soon as they are identified. With proper care, people with high arches can lead active, healthy lives.

In conclusion, using a foot scrub is an easy and effective way to take care of your feet. The for your skin type, and to consult with a doctor if you have any underlying conditions.

Consider Wearing SelectFlex Adjustable Orthotics to Help Treat Your High Arches.

Morton's neuroma is a common foot condition that can cause pain and discomfort in the toes. Also known as plantar neuroma or interdigital neuroma, it occurs when the tissue surrounding the nerves leading to the toes becomes inflamed and compresses them. 

If the neuroma on the foot is not treated in the best way, it is possible for the condition to increase its level of discomfort. Therefore, if you don't know what it is and you are looking for solutions for Morton's neuroma, we are going to explain in this article what treatments will help you. 

Main causes of Morton's neuroma

The onset of Morton's neuroma can be caused by different factors. The main cause is repetitive compression of the digital plantar nerve located between the toes. This compression can come from several factors, including:

• Improper footwear: Wearing tight, high-heeled or narrow-toed shoes can compress the toes and put pressure on the nerves.

• Repetitive injuries: Activities that require repetitive foot movements, such as running or jumping, can cause irritation and pressure on the nerves, which can lead to the formation of a neuroma in the foot.

• Foot anatomy: Some people may be genetically predisposed to developing a Morton's neuroma due to an anatomical structure of the foot that makes the nerves more susceptible to compression.

• Diseases and conditions: Certain diseases and conditions, such as flat feet, arthritis or tarsal tunnel syndrome, may increase the risk of developing this condition.

The importance of making a diagnosis

The importance of diagnosis lies in several reasons. First, diagnosis helps rule out other conditions that may be causing your symptoms, such as a fracture, muscle injury or nerve damage elsewhere in the body.

Second, an accurate diagnosis allows for a treatment plan specific to each individual. Treatment may include a change in footwear, physical therapy, medication or, in severe cases, surgery. 

Finally, it can prevent long-term complications. If Morton's neuroma is not treated properly, it can lead to permanent nerve damage in the foot, which can affect mobility and sensation of the toes. 

Treatments for Morton's neuroma

There are several effective treatments to relieve the symptoms of Morton's neuroma. The recommended treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms and the underlying cause of the condition. Some options include:

Orthopedic insoles

If Morton's neuroma is mild, a popular treatment option is an orthotic sole. This is a tool that contains a special pad designed to relieve pain and provide support to the metatarsal arch. 

Today, there are many options for orthotics in Canada. However, if you want high-quality, adjustable insoles, we invite you to try our Select Flex orthotic shoe inserts. It contains three adjustable height levels that you can adjust to relieve the pain of Morton's neuroma and continue your activities without difficulty.

Change of shoes

One of the most common causes of Morton's neuroma is wearing the wrong shoes. It is recommended to wear shoes that are comfortable and provide enough room for the toes. Shoes with a wide toe box, cushioned insoles or arch support may help reduce pressure on the nerves of the foot.

Physical therapy

Another treatment is to perform Morton's neuroma exercises. These can help to significantly reduce inflammation, improve strength and overall flexibility of the foot. However, it is important to seek the advice of a good podiatrist to index the proper exercises to avoid nerve pain in the foot. 

Morton's neuroma surgery

In severe cases, when non-surgical treatments do not relieve symptoms, surgery may be required to remove Morton's neuroma. Surgery is performed under local anesthesia and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Being told to "stand up straight" probably seemed like a rite of passage in your teenage years, but those nagging adults were onto something. It is essential to have proper alignment for overall good health. Proper body alignment not only helps prevent pain and injury, but can also boost your confidence & mood.

Improving your alignment & posture will likely take some time and conscious effort, but the feel-good benefits are worth it.

What does proper alignment look like?

First there should be a determination on how is your overall alignment. We suggest using the "wall test" to find out: (Healthline)

• Stand so that the back of your head, your shoulder blades and your buttocks touch the wall, and your heels are 2 to 4 inches from the wall.
• Put a flat hand behind the small of your back. You should be able to just barely slide your hand between your lower back and the wall for a correct lower back curve.
• If there's too much space behind your lower back, draw your bellybutton toward your spine. This flattens the curve in your back and gently brings your lower back closer to the wall.
• If there's too little space behind your lower back, arch your back just enough so that your hand can slide behind you.
• Walk away from the wall while holding a proper posture. Then return to the wall to check whether you kept a correct posture.

The Effects of Poor Alignment

Once completing the “wall test” above, understand that ideal posture is often the exception rather than the rule. Poor posture is very common and can affect you head to toe, contributing to a number of problems. These problems include, but are not limited to: (U.S. News Health)

• Headache. Poor posture can strain the muscles at the back of your head, neck, upper back and jaw. This can put pressure on nearby nerves and trigger what are known as tension-type or muscle-spasm headaches.
• Back and neck pain. Pain and tightness or stiffness in the back and neck can be due to injury and other conditions such as arthritis, herniated disks and osteoporosis, but poor posture is a common contributor. Though rarely life-threatening, back and neck pain can be chronic and reduce your quality of life.
• Knee, hip and foot pain. Muscle weakness, tightness or imbalances, lack of flexibility, and poor alignment of your hips, knees and feet may prevent your kneecap (patella) from sliding smoothly over your femur. The ensuing friction can cause irritation and pain in the front of the knee. Poor foot and ankle alignment also can contribute to plantar fasciitis, a condition in which the thick band of tissue connecting your heel to the ball of your foot (plantar fascia) becomes inflamed and causes heel pain.
• Shoulder pain and impingement. Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that connect your upper arm to your shoulder. Muscle tightness, weakness or imbalances associated with poor alignment and posture can cause the tendons in your rotator cuff to become irritated causing pain and weakness. A forward, hunched posture also can cause these tendons to become pinched (impinged). Eventually, this can lead to a tear in the rotator cuff tissue, a more serious injury that can cause significant pain and weakness and limit your ability to carry out daily activities.
• Jaw pain. A forward head posture may strain the muscles under your chin and cause your temporomandibular joint (commonly known as “TMJ”) to become overworked. This may result in pain, fatigue and popping in your jaw, as well as difficulty opening your mouth, headaches and neck pain.
• Fatigue and breathing problems. Poor alignment leading to bad postural habits may restrict your rib cage and compress your diaphragm. This can reduce lung capacity, leading to shallow or labored breathing, fatigue and lack of energy, which can affect your overall productivity.

Better Alignment, BETTER LIFE !

Improving your alignment and posture can help prevent or reverse many of these conditions. You'll be amazed to see how your quality of life can improve.

The most basic approaches to improving your posture from the feet up is by using simple stretches to make sure that your muscles and tendons are limber and not too tight. Taking a few minutes every day to stretch your calves, fascia, and other muscles and tendons in the feet and legs can make a world of difference. When your muscles are limber and stretched, you’ll avoid a situation where one group of muscles is pulling another forward or backward subtly, throwing off your stride. General yoga poses work great for overall stretching.

Next, and JUST AS IMPORTANT, is to make sure your feet are properly supported. Your feet are your foundation every time you run, walk, jump, or stand. The impact from these simple daily activities, combined with the weight of the human body can place a great deal of strain on the heel and arch of the foot. Over time, as the body tries to compensate for this strain and pain, gait abnormalities can develop that result in poor posture.

Wearing orthotics can have a tremendous positive impact on good posture, since the way the feet absorb and distribute impact has a big effect on the rest of the body. Quality orthotics help lift the arch to an optimal height and cushion the heel, the feet (and therefore the ankles, legs, hips, etc.) are more balanced, helping you avoid stumbles and falls that can injure or throw any number of the body’s muscle groups, bones, or tissues out of alignment and creating poor posture.

SelectFlex insoles use a patented arch lifting technology called the PowerLift Arch. The PowerLift Arch provides the wearer with 3 levels to support the arch with dynamic alignment with every step. This unique arch technology dynamically lifts your arch into a comforting sine wave motion that provides up to 89% more arch support with every step.

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