Seniors Don’t Have to Put Up with Foot Pain
Most senior citizens experience some foot pain. It’s no wonder: by the time you turn 80, you’ve walked about 110,000 miles. You’d have to walk from our podiatry office in Centreville, Virginia, to Lower Manhattan and back 183 times to go 110,000 miles. And that’s just the average person. If you’re regularly active, you see a lot more of the Big Apple!
So, you’re putting all these miles on your feet, and they’re likely to wear down, just like the tires on your car. The aging foot may develop:
- Arthritis or bursitis – causing joint pain.
- Bone spurs
- Ingrown toenails
- Fat pad atrophy – the disappearance of natural cushioning
- Neuromas – nerve pain
- Cracked heels – because your skin loses moisture over time.
- Toe deformities, including hammertoes, claw toes, and overlapping toes
- Plantar fasciitis – heel pain.
Some foot problems are more common in older women, such as bunions and stress fractures due to a bone-thinning condition called osteoporosis. Others are more common in men, including gout.
Indeed, not all seniors will experience all these problems! For example, if you’ve had high arches all your life, you’re at a higher risk for developing plantar fasciitis as you age. Additionally, if you’ve got existing health problems such as diabetes, you’re much more likely to experience foot issues such as pain, numbness, infections, and deformities.
No need to suffer
It’s a myth you must put up with foot pain as you age. Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm, our board-certified podiatrist here at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center, can help seniors with all these foot issues. A simple orthotic insert may be the answer to your problem. Exercise, massage, and physical therapy are all tools that can ease or eliminate your discomfort. Steroid injections and non-steroid prescription medications can help, as can foot or ankle surgery.
You may benefit from one of these solutions or several. Find out how Dr. Wilhelm can help: contact us online or call (703) 996-3000 for an appointment to have your feet thoroughly examined in our caring Fairfax County office
