Take Care Of These Senior Foot Conditions Before They Slow You Down

Keeping your body moving as you get older is important to increase circulation and maintain muscle tone. A problem with your feet may keep you off of them and make you less active. Here are some of the issues seniors have with their feet that should be seen and addressed by their podiatrist as soon as possible.

Bunions - This is an abnormal growth of bone at the base of your large toe. The growth pushes your large toe against your other toes and produces a bump that rubs against the inside of your shoes. The area becomes inflamed and painful and you'll have difficulty finding shoes to fit comfortably. Your doctor can do surgery to remove the excess bone and realign your large toe so your shoes will fit without the pain.

Hammer toes - This is caused by the tendons in your toes becoming contracted, which causes your toes to curl downward. This forces the tops of your toes into your shoe where they rub and become inflamed and painful. The podiatrist can try a shoe insert to force your toes into a more relaxed position. If this doesn't give you enough relief, surgery can be done to release the tight tendons in your toes.

Corns - When a bony place on your foot rubs against your shoe, a rough callus can form, called a plantar corn. Pads are available to wear in your shoe to reduce the rubbing. Your doctor can give you a substance to place on the corn that softens it. Surgery can also be done to remove the irritating callus.

Neuromas - Where places on your foot rub against a shoe, the constant irritation can cause swelling in the tissue covering the nerves in that area. Often occurring between your toes, neuromas can become so sensitive that just rubbing a sock over them is painful. If this gets to be too uncomfortable, your doctor can remove the irritated nerve.

Bone spurs - Wherever tendons pull on the surface of the bones in your feet, tiny calcium deposits can form. These are normally not a problem and the calcium gets reabsorbed into the body eventually. Occasionally, a large deposit can cause irritation of the tendon or muscle when you walk or move your foot. Your doctor can give you a shoe insert to reduce the pressure against the bone spur until it goes away. If it becomes too painful to walk, surgery can be done to remove the bone spur.

Contact a doctor at a location like Aboite Podiatry Associates PC for more information on procedures that can make your feet feel better.