Aging and Foot Health

Medicine and health awareness have progressed so rapidly since 1900 that life expectancy of the average American has increased by about 30 years. Older persons have become an increasingly significant proportion of our total population — and their numbers are growing rapidly. In 1900, for example, there were three million Americans aged 65 or older. In the year 2000, older people outnumber children for the first time in history.

If older people are to live useful, satisfying lives, they must be able to move about. Mobility is a vital ingredient of the independence that is cherished by our aging population, and foot ailments make it difficult or impossible for them to work or to participate in social activities.

According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, impairment of the lower extremities is a leading cause of activity limitation in older people. As if foot problems weren’t enough of a nuisance, they can also lead to knee, hip, and lower back pain that undermine mobility just as effectively. The NCHS says one-fourth of all nursing home patients cannot walk at all and another one-sixth can walk only with assistance.

Mirror of Health

The human foot has been called the “mirror of health.” Foot doctors, or doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), are often the first doctors to see signs of such systemic conditions as diabetes, arthritis, and circulatory disease in the foot. Among these signs are dry skin, brittle nails, burning and tingling sensations, feelings of cold, numbness, and discoloration. Always seek professional care when these signs appear.

Content courtesy of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Proper Footwear

Buying Tips

• Have your feet measured while you’re standing.
  
• Always try on both shoes, and walk around the store.
  
• Always buy for the larger foot; feet are seldom precisely the same size.
  
• Don’t buy shoes that need a “break-in” period; shoes should be comfortable immediately.
  
• Don’t rely on the size of your last pair of shoes. Your feet do get larger, and lasts (shoemakers’ sizing molds) also vary.
  
• Shop for shoes later in the day; feet tend to swell during the day, and it’s best to be fitted while they are in that state.
  
• Be sure that shoes fit well—front, back, and sides—to distribute weight. It sounds elementary, but be sure the widest part of your foot corresponds to the widest part of the shoe.
  
• Select a shoe with a leather upper, stiff heel counter, appropriate cushioning, and flexibility at the ball of the foot.
  
• Buy shoes that don’t pinch your toes, either at the tips, or across the toe box.
  
• Try on shoes while you’re wearing the same type of socks or stockings you expect to wear with the shoes.
  
• If you wear prescription orthotics—biomechanical inserts prescribed by a podiatric physician—you should take them along to shoe fittings.
  

Tips come from the American Podiatric Medical Association

Before and after photos.

A picture can say a thousand words. This is just one example of what modern podiatry can acomplish.

Before:




After:




For more before and after photos please visit our website at www.chicagopodiatry.com

Meet Chicago Leading Podiatry Doctor

Dr. Thomas C. Carr is a board certified Podiatrist who has been in private practice in Chicago, Illinois since 1992. He specializes in Podiatric Surgery and Sports Medicine, but his practice includes all ages and pathologies related to the foot or ankle. He has performed over 10,000 surgical procedures ranging from routine elective foot surgery to major reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Carr earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in 1988. He then completed three years of advanced training in Reconstructive Surgery of the foot and ankle at Lakeside Hospital and Edgewater Medical Center, Chicago, where he served as chief resident.

Dr. Carr has shared his expertise in podiatric surgery by teaching state-of-the-art techniques to surgical residents who now practice all over the country. He has also taught continuing medical education courses at the nations largest podiatric conference.

To learn more about Dr. Carr and Chicago Podiatric Surgeons please visit us at www.chicagopodiatry.com