You’ve heard of staying young at heart, but what about young at foot? You rely on your feet to take you everywhere, but do you treat them as the essential body part that they are? Just like most other aspects of our bodies, feet change with age. The shape of our feet changes as we develop different foot conditions, stuff them into high heels and stand or walk for prolonged periods of time.
The shoes you wear, your profession, and your self-maintenance habits can all impact how your feet hold up day after day. Conditions like heel spurs, bunions, and neuromas can cause serious foot pain, while conditions like hammertoes can actually change the shape of your feet and cause your shoes to fit you differently. You will need to talk to your foot and ankle specialists about the different treatment options available to overcome each of these conditions.
Part of keeping your feet healthy with age is learning all the ways that your feet are going to change. Understanding these changes can help you stay prepared and keep your feet healthy and happy.
Here are a few ways that your feet can be expected to change with age:
- Fat pad deterioration: Over time, the level of padding surrounding your feet can diminish, causing serious discomfort. The natural fat padding is designed to help your feet bear the weight of your body and many describe the loss of padding as the sensation that you are walking on pebbles. This causes your feet to become extremely tender and is often quite painful. Dr. Schoenhaus offers fat pad restoration therapy for this painful condition.
- Skin changes: Without regular care, the skin on your feet can grow dry and thin. Use moisturizer regularly to keep the skin on your feet in good shape. Dry, thin skin can increase your risk for blisters and make walking and standing uncomfortable.
- Arthritis: This is an especially common condition among older adults. Arthritis of the feet can make walking almost unbearable. Your podiatrist in Boca Raton can introduce you to treatment options as well as preventative strategies to reduce the pain of arthritis.
The conditions above are common with age. As years go by your feet take a pretty harsh beating. Do your best to give your feet a bit of love and care as often as you are able. Foot massages, regular use of moisturizer, and properly-fitted footwear can all reduce the amount of foot pain you are likely to experience with age.
