9 Reasons Why You Need A Podiatrist In Your Senior Years

As the years pass, your body changes—muscles and bones move around, ligaments relax and your circulation may slow down. And unfortunately, our feet don’t escape unaffected in this aging process.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, by the time we reach age 50, most of us will have walked 75,000 miles and after a lifetime of supporting and carrying our weight, it isn’t a surprise that our feet need some extra TLC in our senior years. To be able to maintain an active lifestyle and your independence, it’s important to visit the podiatrist regularly in your senior years and, as it is with patients of any age, you should make an appointment with Dr. David R. Sullivan as soon as you become aware of any foot or ankle problems.

Common Foot Conditions Experienced by Seniors

When you come to see our Westfield, IN podiatrist in your senior years, we perform a thorough foot exam, looking for any signs of injury or major changes. Some of the most common conditions we diagnose and treat include:

1. Bunions
   You’re more likely to get these bony bumps as you age, because bunions develop over time. Usually, they’re the result of internal pressure on your big toe joint. And, while often a hereditary problem, years of wearing shoes that pinch or your favorite high heels could add up to large, painful bunions in your silver or golden years.

2. Dry Skin, Corns and Calluses
   As you age, your body’s cells have a harder time holding onto moisture. As a result, your foot skin can dry out, leaving you vulnerable to cracks that may bleed—especially around your heels. Getting help with a proper moisturizing routine can help protect your skin and prevent infections from setting in. Corns or calluses can develop from repeated pressure or friction on an area of skin. Often caused by ill-fitting shoes, a podiatrist can advise you on the type of shoes that will reduce rubbing and pressure and counsel on adding any padding or additional support.

3. Ingrown Toenails and Fungal Infections
   As you age, it may become hard to cut your toenails resulting in an ingrown toenail. An ingrown toenail puts you at risk for an infection. Besides treating the ingrown toenail, we’ll provide guidelines on correct toenail-trimming practices and assist with toenail-trimming services if needed. To help prevent fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, we’ll provide instruction on proper footcare.

4. Hammertoes
   This is a toe deformity that develops when your weakened toe muscles change your body’s physical structure. With this condition, your toe may appear bent, with the toe joint rising prominently. Aging can be a risk factor for hammertoes because your muscles weaken over the years, which puts extra pressures on your toe’s supporting structures.

5. Arthritis
   We all know that arthritis can be an age-related problem. And since your foot has 33 different joints, it’s very likely you’ll notice arthritis symptoms in your foot and ankle. Unfortunately, we can’t cure osteoarthritis. But with early intervention and regular monitoring, we can slow its progression and protect your mobility.

6. Diabetes-related Problems
   Diabetes affects the entire body, but it can especially hard on the feet. If you have diabetes or suspect you do, we’ll thoroughly exam your feet and look for sores that aren’t healing as well as a loss of feeling in your feet. When you have diabetes, its important to address any foot concerns before they become a bigger issue.

7. Heel Pain
   As you get older, changes in your ligaments, tendons and muscles can also affect your plantar fascia. (That’s the band of connective tissue running from your heel along the bottom of your foot.) The plantar fascia can strain due to a variety of stressors causing inflammation. You may then face the pain of plantar fasciitis. We can treat your pain and relieve the inflammation. And we can usually do so with minimally invasive treatment if you come in early.

8. Injuries
   It may be harder to see injuries to your feet and ankles as you get older and missing even a minor blister or cut could turn into a major medical concern. We will inspect your feet for cuts, bruising, swelling and another other injury that might have been missed.

9. Footwear
   As we age, our feet get flatter and longer due to our ligaments and tendons continuing to relax over time. We can evaluate your current footwear to see if it is giving your feet the support they need as well as recommend the right type of orthotics to support your foot’s structure.

Getting older means changes—but those changes don’t have to add up to foot pain. While your foot structures may shift over the years, with support, early intervention and appointments with Dr. David Sullivan, serving Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers and Zionsville, Ind., we can keep those changes from putting limits on your mobility, or your quality of life.