While you can mitigate many foot and ankle problems with proper attention and regular visits to your foot doctor, there are age-related issues that will eventually catch up to you no matter how careful and attentive you are to your feet. Fortunately, you can delay aging complications and avert many problems with the right shoes and orthotics.

Age-related foot and ankle problems include the following:

• Your feet get larger— As you age your feet expand, and the tendons and ligaments get fatigued and looser, which can lead to injuries like tendinitis. Talk to your foot doctor about properly fitted shoes and custom orthotics to avoid many complications.
• Increasing joint problems—Arthritis increasingly affects the foot and ankle joints causing considerable pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
• More microbial infections—Your immune system weakens as you get older, with bacterial, fungal, and viral infections more likely to occur.
• Increase in skin and toenail conditions—Your skin gets drier as you age, so be sure to stay adequately hydrated. Calluses will become larger, dryer, and more cracked. Toenails will become thicker and more brittle, especially if there’s a fungal toenail infection.

For any age-related foot and ankle problems you may be experiencing, be sure to see your foot doctor for the correct diagnosis and treatment parameters. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.