The aged foot

Extract

Foot problems are common in elderly people and healthy feet are recognized as a key factor in maintaining activity and independence. People aged over 75 years exhibit a greater degree of foot pathology than a younger population and foot pain is prevalent in a high percentage of elderly patients. Foot problems impair mobility in many older people and may also contribute to falls. The immobility that results from a local foot problem can have a significant impact on the patient’s ability to maintain life as a useful member of society and has been identified as a common cause of unreported disability, often accepted as an accompaniment of the aging process. With increasing age, many foot problems which may have been well compensated for earlier in life will begin to reduce an elderly person’s mobility and health-related quality of life.