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

Podiatry resources

Here is a short list of useful online podiatry resources


American Podiatric Medical Association
American Board of Podiatric Surgery
American Diabetes Association
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery
FootPhysicians.com
American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
National Library of Medicine
ePodiatry.org


And always for detailed information about specific foot disorders you can visit us at Chicago Podiatric Surgeons

High Arch & Low Arch Feet

Pes cavus and pes planus are the scientific terms that describe high arch feet and low arch or “flat” feet. As Podiatric physicians, we are very interested not only in structure but also in function of the feet. While very few people have 20-20 vision, it is also true that very few people have perfect arch structure. High and low arch feet are just the two ends of the spectrum of foot structure. The more deviation from what is considered perfect, the worse the function becomes. We describe deviation from “the ideal” as imbalance in structure. It is the imbalance in structure that leads to abnormal function. Abnormal function causes pain and/or deformity. Deformity can manifest itself in a variety of foot problems such as bunions or hammertoes. Likewise, pain can manifest itself in a variety of ways such as heel pain (plantar fasciitis or heel spur), corns or calluses, metatarsalgia or pain in the ball of the foot (neuromas, stress fractures, or tendonitis), or even in pediatric problems.



Invariably, we can treat most foot imbalance or biomechanical insufficiencies with orthotic therapy.
Visit our web site to learn more about these disorders and recommended treatments.

Diabetes and Foot Problems

Diabetic patients are particularly at risk for significant foot problems that can lead to the loss of their feet or legs. The most common cause of hospitalization for the diabetic patient is foot infections. Foot related problems for the diabetic patient are responsible for significant time off work. Foot ulcerations can take weeks or months to heal.
There are two conditions that are associated with diabetes that put the patient at risk. The first is called neuropathy, which is a nerve condition that frequently affects the feet. There is a gradual loss in the patient's ability to perceive the protective sensations. The protective sensations are the ability to feel pain, to feel the difference between hot and cold, sharp and dull, vibration, and excessive pressure. This loss of sensation can become quite profound. Patients can step on sharp objects or cut themselves and not feel pain. They may burn themselves with scalding water and not be aware of it, and they can develop pressure sores and infections and experience little or no pain.

Learn more about Diabetes and Foot Problems