What is Pes Cavus?

14 July 2015 | John

Pes Cavus (also known as Cavus Feet, high arch or high instep) are feet where the arch is overly pronounced, placing more weight and pressure on the heels and balls of your feet. This can happen in one or both feet and can afflict anyone at any age — it is the opposite of flat feet and is much less common.

What are the Symptoms of Pes Cavus?

The most obvious symptom of Pes Cavus is a higher than normal arch and there is an easy way to check if your arch is abnormal. Simply wet the bottom of your feet and place them on a dry surface such as a pavement or a newspaper — if you cannot see any of the middle part of your foot in the footprint, only the toes, ball and heel, then there is a chance you have Pes Cavus.

The higher than normal arch can also lead to the foot being shorter than it should be. People with Pes Cavus also find that they feel pain in their arches and instability when they walk. Some with this condition also have calluses on the ball of their foot and their heel because of the increased pressure.

Pes Cavus can also cause lesser toe deformities such as hammer toes or claw toes, which is down to the reduced space in shoes Pes Cavus causes.

What are the Causes of Pes Cavus?

For a lot of people, Pes Cavus have no known cause, however in some cases the condition can run in the family; these are generally milder deformations.

For those with more severe cases of Pes Cavus, the cause is usually an underlying medical condition such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and even polio (although this is much less likely). Pes Cavus caused by an underlying condition usually get worse as time goes on, however Pes Cavus that is due to genetics tends to stay the same.

How Can Shoe Insoles Help with Pes Cavus?

While a shoe insole cannot help with the underlying condition of Pes Cavus, it can offer some much needed pain relief. One of the ways it can do this is to give the arch proper support and protection. This can help prevent the corns and calluses that Pes Cavus can cause from forming, reducing the pain and discomfort.

Another way a shoe insole can help relieve the pain caused by Pes Cavus is by relieving the pressure it puts on your foot. This is done by both providing a cushion to the ball and heel of the foot to reduce the pressure there, but also by keeping the arch in the correct place, reducing the strain on that as well.

If you are interested in getting a shoe insole to help with your high arches, feel free to visit Shoe Insoles and check out our range of Insoles for Pes Cavus.