Aging brings along a number of symptoms, like weakening muscles, blurred vision and a hunched back.
In addition to sensory damage, this also affects the musculoskeletal structures of the body, including your feet.
As you age along with your body, your feet and legs can give you a hard time.
Here are the various effects that the process of aging can have on your feet.
Dermatological issues
One of the first noticeable victims of aging is the skin.
We can see more and more obvious wrinkles on the hands, and feet are not an exception.
The dermatological effects of aging generally appear in:
- The occurrence of brownish spots;
- Fissures in the feet;
- Hair loss on the feet and toes;
- The accumulation of corns and calluses;
- Sores that appear more easily;
- Cracks in the heels;
- Skin that dries out faster.
Most of these issues result from the overall thinning and weakening of your skin.
We normally recommend that you check your feet for badly healing lesions on a regular basis.
However, if you cannot do this yourself, you may opt for the help of a podiatrist.
A podiatry clinic can offer the following treatments:
- A foot bath and the application of emollients;
- The application of special moisturizers;
- The removal of corns and calluses;
- The application of therapeutic taping.
Chronic pain
According to the Canadian Pain Society (CPS), the prevalence of chronic pain increases dramatically with age, reaching 65% in seniors among the general population.
Usually, the factors that contribute to the increase of your lower extremity pain include:
- A health condition: painful conditions commonly diagnosed in the elderly include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis of the big toe, osteoarthritis of the knee, and diabetic foot.
- A foot deformity: the structures of the foot often atrophy and cause deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, and acquired flatfoot due to chronic conditions.
- Deformed nails: deformities of the toes simultaneously lead to changes in the shape of the nails and subsequently to nail issues such as ingrown toenails or nail fungus.
Your pain can also be exacerbated by your shoes.
In this case, the podiatrist can suggest various treatments and techniques to help reduce the extent of your discomfort arising from the deformities.
For example, they can prescribe:
- Custom-made foot orthoses;
- Orthoplasty;
- Manual foot therapy;
- Orthopedic footwear or shoes that better fit the shape of your feet;
- Corrective splints.
Locomotion difficulties
Most elders will experience a natural wear and tear on the musculoskeletal structures of the body.
As a result, they suffer a loss of bone density, decreased muscle tone, and thinning joint cartilage.
When these elements come together, they contribute to a decline in mobility.
Furthermore, this change in your movement can be problematic as it limits your ability to participate in physical activities.
For older people, a sedentary lifestyle can encourage the onset of various leg and foot problems, such as:
- Osteoporosis;
- Osteoarthritis;
- Altered posture;
- Proneness to falling;
- Plantar fasciitis;
- Joint pain in the knees and ankles.
PiedReseau helps prevent and reduce the effects of aging on your feet
If you feel that aging is proving to be difficult for your feet, it may be time to seek out professional advice.
PiedReseau podiatrists have everything you need to diagnose and treat your foot and leg pain.
Are you concerned about the damaging effects that aging has on your feet? Consult your podiatry clinic today.
