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Podiatry Clinic of Jackson
Terry Holt, D.P.M., has been treating patients at the Podiatry Clinic of Jackson for 30 years. The clinic is at 657 Skyline Drive. For an appointment call 731.427.5581 or 800.273.3087.
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Healthy feet key to mobility as we get older
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| Dr. Terry Holt |
If older people are to live useful, satisfying lives, they must be able to move about, said Dr. Terry Holt, a board-certified podiatrist. “Mobility is a vital ingredient of the independence that is cherished by our aging population, and foot ailments make it difficult or impossible for them to work or to participate in social activities.”
According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), impairment of the lower extremities is a leading cause of activity limitation in older people, said Dr. Holt. As if foot problems weren’t enough of a nuisance, they also can lead to knee, hip and lower back pain that undermine mobility just as effectively. The NCHS says one-fourth of all nursing home patients cannot walk at all and another one-sixth can walk only with assistance.
The human foot has been called the “mirror of health,” Dr. Holt explained. “Foot doctors or doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) are often the first doctors 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.” When any of these signs appear, seek professional care, he added.
For reasons that are difficult to fathom, many people, including older people, believe that it is normal for the feet to hurt, he said. “They 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, Dr. Holt said. “However, even among people in their retirement years, many foot problems can be treated successfully and foot pain relieved.”
He explained that, whether due to neglect or abuse, the normal wear and tear of the years causes changes in the feet. As people age, their feet tend to spread and lose the fatty pads that cushion the bottom of the feet. Additional weight can affect the bone and ligament structure.
Older people, consequently, should have their feet measured for shoe sizes more frequently, rather than presuming that their shoe sizes remain constant.
Dry skin and brittle nails are other conditions older people commonly face. Finally, it’s a fact that women, young and old, have four times as many foot problems as men, and high heels are often the culprits.
To keep your mobility, keep your feet healthy, he said.
• Properly fitted shoes are essential; an astonishing number of people wear shoes that don’t fit right and cause serious foot problems.
• A shoe with a firm sole and soft upper is best for daily activities.
• Shop for shoes in the afternoon; feet tend to swell during the day.
• If you observe a problem with your foot, see your doctor.
“Observing preventive foot health care has many benefits,” Dr. Holt said. “Chief among them is that it can increase comfort, limit the possibility of additional medical problems, reduce the chances of hospitalization because of infection and lessen the requirements for other institutional care.”