As the elderly get older, changes appear in the foot that increases the likelihood of discomfort and pain. The age of onset of these changes varies from person to person, but can vary from 40 to 50 years. For example, as people get older, the underlayer (pad) is damaged, and as a result, its cushioning properties are lost, and with osteoarthritis changes that occur in the elderly, the toes may become slightly bent or sunk inward process.
Also, in the elderly, the nails become thicker, thus increasing the likelihood of nails growing into the flesh. Most importantly, the size of the foot changes with age, so that, as the tendons relax and the muscles weaken, it may become taller. Thickness also occurs due to swelling caused by vascular disease.
However, foot pain can be prevented in the elderly. Paying attention to some points can be very effective in preventing foot pain in the elderly. For these reasons, the elderly should be sure to trim their nails directly and use appropriate moisturizers for dry and cracked feet.
It is also important to note that the foot, despite its great importance, is easily ignored, especially in the cold months of the year, when it is often inside shoes or socks. In the elderly, the trauma of the foot is reduced, and the use of shoes with better trauma is strongly recommended. Also, due to the change in foot size in the elderly, it should be noted that the foot should always be measured when buying shoes. For example, if the previous shoe number is 38 or 39, do not choose the next shoe size and do not be surprised if the shoe size increases.
The foot is one of the most amazing structures in the body. It is interesting to know that, on average, an active human walks around the earth 4 times in his lifetime, so it is important for all of us to protect our feet.
The foot is the point of contact of the human body with the ground. It plays an essential role in standing, maintaining balance, stability, movement, weight bearing and absorbing forces. It has several functions while walking, some of which are even contradictory. This means that it must be able to change the nature of walking significantly in different phases so that we can walk normally, and in a walking cycle, the foot must be able to move on one side in the form of a hard lever to move the body forward. And on the other hand, change from a rigid position to a flexible position so that it can adapt to uneven and uneven surfaces and also be able to absorb incoming forces. All of these functions are performed by the muscles, tendons, bones, and joints of the foot, which are interestingly designed for these functions.
To prevent foot pain, which is followed by pain and discomfort in the knee area, shyness and even the neck, the trauma of the foot can be used. During walking, depending on the type, for example, while running up to 5 times the weight of a person, force is applied to the body from the ground, a large amount of which is absorbed by a healthy foot. If the foot did not have the ability to absorb energy, it might be surprising to say that the bones of the upper body were easily broken.
For example, in patients with excessive plantar fasciitis, the ability to absorb forces is usually reduced, leading to symptoms such as pain in the heel, knee, back, and thigh. It should be noted that some of these conditions are also seen in flat feet, but the mechanism of its creation is different.
The sole of the foot has three arches. One longitudinal arch at the inner edge, the tallest and most important of which consists of seven bones, and another longitudinal arch at the outer edge consisting of five bones, both of which have the common heel bone is also a transverse arc.
The dimensions of these arches are not only due to the shape of the bone, but also the ligaments play an important role in creating it and the muscles and tendons in maintaining it, and the most important action is the property of absorbing force and impacting it.
Author: Dr. Kamran Azma
Specialist in physical medicine, rehabilitation and electrodiagnostic medicine
