Geriatric Foot Care

According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, impairment of the lower extremities is a leading cause of activity limitation in older people. If older people are to live useful, satisfying lives, they must be able to move about. Mobility is a vital ingredient of independence. Have your feet examined by a foot specialist at least twice a year.

The human foot has been called the mirror of health. Foot specialist,  are often the first practitioners  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.

Foot Problems Can Be Prevented

For reasons that are difficult to fathom, many people, including a lot of older people, believe that it is normal for the feet to hurt, and simply resign themselves to enduring foot problems that could be treated. There are more than 300 different foot ailments. Some can be traced to heredity, but for an aging population, most of these ailments stem from the cumulative effect of years of neglect or abuse. However, even among people in their retirement years, many foot problems can be treated successfully, and the pain of foot ailments relieved.