Your feet are quite spectacular. Comprised of 26 bones, 33 joints, over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments and 200,000 nerve endings, each foot is an incredibly complex structure that is designed to absorb stress, stabilize our bodies and help us navigate the world around us. However, many people don’t pay their feet a second thought, and that could be killing them.

Literally.

Your Feet And Your Lifespan

How you care for your feet can certainly impact your lifespan, and that doesn’t mean that you should always pamper and protect of your feet. In fact, the opposite might be true if you hope to stay healthy as you get older.

You want to challenge your feet and put them in a position to stay strong and healthy, and modern conveniences may be making that a little more challenging. As we’ve mentioned on the blog in the past, we don’t come out of the womb with shoes on, and our ancestors weren’t lacing up their Nikes when they went out in search of food. Sure, shoes and orthotic inserts can help protect our feet from rocky terrain, but they can also serve to weaken our feet.

For example, overly cushioned shoes can cause key muscle groups in your feet to atrophy. Narrow or pointed shoes can change our natural ability to remain balanced on our feet. Certain orthotics can serve to weaken a person’s arch, as they end up being too protective of the foot. All of these issues can impact our foot’s natural shape and strength, which inhibits its ability to perform daily tasks, like remaining balanced.

Here’s where the connection to foot health and lifespan collide. Weak foot strength and worse balance is connected to a higher likelihood of falls. Not surprisingly, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in older adults, contributing to over 38,000 deaths per year in the US alone. Weaker feet lead to a greater risk of falls, and falls are a leading cause of injury and death in older adults!

The good news is that it doesn’t take much to improve your foot strength. A few foot-focused exercises, balance training programs or simply walking around on your bare feet or in minimalist shoes can help you develop stronger muscles and better balance. Ditch the overly cushioned shoes when you’re at home, and skip the narrow-toed high heels at the office. Challenge your feet to feel the world around them and become stronger, and they’ll be better able to keep you upright later in life!

Dr. Silverman Comments

I’ve been teaching this concept at my clinic for two decades now. Overly protective shoes and cushioned inserts can end up doing more harm than good to your feet by weakening them. Considering the fact that our bodies naturally get a bit weaker as we age, why help the process along by wearing the wrong shoes or inserts?

That’s not to say shoes and orthotic inserts are always problematic, but you’ll want to connect with an orthopaedic specialist and ensure you are using a quality shoe or device and you understand what you need to do to offset some of the potential side effects of these assistive devices. We’ll happily be your guide and ensure the devices you believe are protecting your feet aren’t actually increasing your risk of a traumatic fall or an early death.

For more information about improving your foot and ankle health, reach out to Dr. Silverman by clicking here.

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Protecting Your Feet As You Age

Here are some ways you can ensure that your feet stay healthy long into your wonder years.

1. Exercise – Exercise is important for your whole body, but it’s also very important for your feet. Exercise helps to strengthen muscles and ligaments in the area, which are necessary for healthy movement. You want to find the right balance between challenging your feet and overstressing them, because injuries can develop if you overwork your feet at any age.

2. Regular Checks – Do a weekly or semi-monthly check of your feet to make sure everything looks as it should. Look for healthy nail beds, signs of a fungal infection, or any sores or open wounds, and take care of any problems you notice. It should only take a minute or two to perform these checks, and it can help you identify problems in their infancy. If you are a diabetic, do these checks every day because your feet are at heightened risk for potential problems.

3. Balance Training – Falls are one of the most common sources of injury for individuals over the age of 65. Sometimes this is the result of tripping over an object, but other times it happens because the person simply loses their balance. You can help avoid falls due to balance issues by partaking in balance training exercises or activities. Activities like yoga and tai chi are great for improving your balance and helping you stay active, so look into balance training options near you.

4. Supportive Shoes – Finally, you’ll want to ensure that you are protecting your feet with a comfortable and supportive footwear option. Make sure the shoes give your toes plenty of room and that there’s ample cushioning on the bottom. For best results, consider having your shoes professionally fit by a shoe expert, because our feet can change as we age. If you know you have certain foot conditions, like ankle instability or high arches, find a shoe option that can correct these issues and keep your feet supported.

For more ways to keep your feet healthy as you get older, reach out to Dr. Silverman.

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Your Feet And Your Health

It’s important to note that signs of one or more of these conditions does not mean you definitely have one of these conditions, but it is worth monitoring and bringing up to your doctor. Here’s a look at five things your feet may be able to tell you about your health.

1. Cold Feet – If you’re having cold feet and you didn’t just run away from your fiance at the alter, you may be dealing with poor circulation. Since your feet are the farthest body part from your heart, they are one of the first areas that suggest blood may not be circulating correctly. If you’re dealing with regular instances of cold feet, consult with a doctor, but get up and moving to help circulate blood in the meantime.

2. Persistent Sores – Persistent sores can be emblematic of a number of different issues, ranging from poor shoes that rub on your feet to diabetes. Diabetics generally suffer from poor circulation in the feet, which means sores can’t heal as easily, so if you have regular or slow-healing cuts on your feet, you may want to have your blood sugar levels examined. On the flip side, it may just be a footwear problem, so use your head when examining your feet.

3. Yellow Toenails – Our toenails are supposed to be clear and they generally are similar in color to your skin tone, so if they become discolored, it’s a sign of a problem. Yellow toenails can occur when a toenail fungus sets in, so visit a foot specialist or invest in a fungal cream if your one of your nails is yellowish in appearance.

4. Pain in the Heel/In the Morning – If your first few steps in the morning are painful, it’s a sign of inflammation in the plantar fascia on the underside of your foot. Most people experience the pain in their heel region when going from a relaxed to active state. Plantar fasciitis is treated with conservative care options, so talk to your doctor about the best way to treat the condition. Oftentimes the best treatment involves rest and targeted physical therapy.

5. Inflamed Big Toe – If your big toe looks larger than normal, puffy, or hurts when you walk, it could be a number of different things. If you suffered acute trauma, it could be a toe fracture, but if you haven’t suffered any trauma recently, you may be suffering from gout. Gout usually rears its head if you have a poor diet or excess alcohol intake, so if that sounds like your recent weekend activities, reach for some more vegetables and work in some regular exercise.

If you’re looking for a second opinion on your foot condition, contact Dr. Silverman today.

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