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It’s Healthy Aging Month: Are Your Feet Prepared?

Many of us expose our feet to hazardous heels or poorly fitting shoes. If you jog, you are pounding your feet with a force that is three to four times your body weight. Given these stresses and strains, it’s surprising our feet don’t fight back. But as we age, they sometimes do. So because September is Healthy Aging Month, today Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen of greater Philadelphia’s Your Next Step Foot and Ankle Care Center are sharing information regarding some of the changes you might encounter in your feet as you age.

Here are six considerations to prepare you.

  1. A loss of fat in the feet can make seniors more susceptible to foot pain. Everyone has fat under their feet that is there to absorb shock. As we age, that padding can begin to deteriorate. If you need that extra padding, ask your podiatrist if custom orthotics can help.
  2. Obesity can raise the likelihood of foot pain. As a person’s BMI (body mass index) rises from normal to obesity, so does the probability they will experience foot pain as they get older.
  3. Foot disorders are more common as we age. Fungal infections, corns and calluses, bunions, and hammertoe can happen at any age. But some foot conditions become more widespread as we age. If you experience stubborn swelling or pain in the foot, it’s time to schedule a visit to your podiatrist.
  4. When the flow of blood becomes compromised, foot pain can worsen. There are numerous factors that can affect the flow of blood, including peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, blood clots, or the fact that you smoke.
  5. Care for your feet every day. Clean your feet and dry them thoroughly each day. Apply a moisturizer to ward off cracked skin. Examine your feet regularly, looking for blisters, wounds, corns and calluses, or sores.
  6. Disregarding issues with your feet can cause pain to develop in other parts of the body. When shoe shopping, always have your feet professionally measured. Even though the rest of your body may have stopped growing, you must have your feet measured throughout all the different phases of your life.

Whether or not you have problems with your feet as you get older, it’s essential to have them checked regularly. The team at Greater Philadelphia’s Your Next Step Foot and Ankle Care Center wants to help you keep your feet healthy when you enter your senior years. Click here to locate the office nearest you and schedule an appointment today.

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