Foot Help For Those Older

FOOT HELP FOR THOSE OLDER

There is nothing more important than the feet for someone aging. Taking care of your feet will help you to stay active enjoying life in your golden years probably more than anything else will. Healthy feet will also help you to lower the likelihood of having falls.

Often a turning point occurs for us when it becomes difficult to walk. When our feet give us trouble we are far more likely to become less active. Remaining active is the single most important thing we can do to lessen the impact of the aging process. When we are less active we become less able to do the things we want to do most, like attending our granddaughter's graduation or traveling during retirement. When we are less active we get old fast.

Why do we begin to have problems walking?

Inactivity portends trouble: Each hour of extended sitting reduces blood flow to the feet by as much as 50%. That problem is alleviated if we move for just 5 minutes each hour. Poor circulation is especially problematic if you suffer from the neuropathy that often accompanies diabetes.
Inactivity also makes our leg and foot joints stiff and that makes walking stressful for the feet and the spine.
Pain from lower back problems makes it difficult to lift our legs, making walking harder.
We lose leg strength: We lose 1% of our muscle mass each year after the age of 50 unless we take steps to reverse the situation. Among the muscles prone to loss are the quadriceps, the thigh muscles that are used so much in the walking process.
We develop the habit of shuffling our feet either as a result of trouble or just laziness. Shuffling the feet is a contributing factor to an overwhelming number of falls.
Common chronic conditions can affect the feet significantly.

Health conditions which result in problems for the feet:

Peripheral neuropathy of the feet involves damage to the nerves of the peripheral nervous system. Commonly caused by diabetes but also other chronic conditions. Balance is significantly impacted.
Lower spine nerve impingement: In this case, foot discomfort can mask the real source of the problem which may be inflamed nerves in the lower back that cause painful or irritable foot sensations.
Plantar fasciitis: Painful heels, especially in the morning, are the symptom of this diagnosis which is caused by tightness in the Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
Foot neuromas: A neuroma is a painful batch of nerve tissue often located on the ball of the foot between the 3rd and 4th toes.
Arthritis: Foot joints are susceptible to osteoarthritis as is any joint overused or otherwise stressed. The toe joints in particular can become inflamed, stiff and painful. Movement is the best response, whether through foot and toe exercises or passive massage.
In general, as we get older our circulation worsens in the legs and feet unless we remain active.

If your circulation is poor then your health is directly affected. Poor circulation basically means that less oxygen is being delivered to the cells throughout your body. Less oxygen has a clear negative impact on the functioning of everything in the body.

What's the easiest way to improve your health?
Improve your circulation and improve your breathing.

Peripheral neuropathy of the feet:

Neuropathy is awful, or it can be. It is often painful and distressingly irritating. Neuropathy of the feet is frequently felt as numbness. But searing pain and burning sensations are also common. The condition is occurring because the nerve endings in the feet are damaged or inflamed, not always but often irreparably. Western medicine offers little help unfortunately. The causes include most prominently diabetes. It is also a byproduct of chemotherapy. Spinal nerve damage can as well produce neuropathy.

One of the major effects of neuropathy of the feet is that our balance is significantly affected. Balance is a complex sense affected by the eyes, inner ears and peripheral proprioception, the body's ability to sense where the limbs are. Neuropathy of the feet has a major impact on proprioception. The body develops an inaccurate idea of where the feet are which in turn makes walking and balance really precarious.

Many times our doctors tell us that there is nothing that can be done about neuropathy as it often involves permanent nerve damage. Exercise can help to reduce discomfort and improve balance but that is not mentioned as often as it should be. While nerve damage may be irreparable, much can be done to alleviate the symptoms that accompany neuropathy. I have written and spoken about this extensively. For example, specialized balance training for neuropathy of the feet would include improving balance using the other senses.

Some forms of exercise are dangerous for those with neuropathy. For example, walking on the rough bottom of a swimming pool can cut the souls of your feet if your feet are numb. Massage rollers may also be problematic. However, exercise that releases tension and improves circulation is quite helpful. Consult your doctor.

More On Neuropathy

What can we do to improve the health of our feet?

Sit less: Get in the habit of moving for at least 5 minutes of every hour of sitting.
Do foot exercises every morning: At a minimum, flex and point your feet and circle your ankles, preferably before you stand up in the AM.
Stretch the back of the legs every night: The feet are strongly affected when there is significant tension in the legs. Tight achilles tendons, calf muscles, hamstrings or iliotibial ligaments can display as problems with the feet. Stretch the back of your legs from a seated position with your foot flexed or from a standing position doing the "runner's stretch". If you do these at night before you go to bed you will get fewer leg cramps.
Learn to walk the right way: Pick your feet up. Do not shuffle. Roll through the feet as you walk. Click on this link to find out how to walk properly: Walk Much More Easily.

Strengthen your leg muscles: Thighs are especially important.
Strengthen the core: This will take stress off of your lower back and make it easier to walk.
Rhythmic movement is wonderful for improving nervous system health and circulation. Hand/foot coordination exercise makes everything work better and is particularly valuable for those with neuropathy.

Wear good shoes: Do not wear backless shoes. Flip flops in particular are dangerous and should be thrown out.
Massage your feet: A monthly professional foot massage is highly recommended. Using a foam roller or tennis ball to massage the souls of your feet is useful but consult your physician first, especially if you have neuropathy. If you can reach your feet, massage them yourself. The button below links to a wonderful and easy follow along video.
Epsom salt foot baths are fantastic for the feet.
Topical inflammatories like Topricin can help to reduce the inflammation and pain we sometimes feel in our feet.
Visualize foot health: This is an especially valuable tool if you have difficulty moving your feet or cannot feel them.

See your podiatrist on a regular basis. For those older that means at least once per year.
Have your feet treated by a professional foot care specialist frequently: A nurse visits my 98 year old mother-in-law every other month to trim her toe nails and keep her feet healthy.
If you have neuropathy of the feet, check your feet daily for tears or skin abrasions and treat them immediately.

3 Minute Self Foot Massage

How I care for my feet as a professional dancer at the age of 80:

Dancer's feet: While the feet are a sure high priority for those older, they are by far the most important part of the body for a dancer. If you have foot problems you often have to either quit dancing or adapt your style to deal with it. I have been dancing for 50 years. Many would slow down and quit. I have done the opposite. In recent years I have become more aggressive in the training of my feet. I perform extensive foot exercises to strengthen my feet, mostly in the form of ballet. I have also developed a style of dance where I am increasingly in a releve position on the balls of my feet.

Energy support: Aside from all the foot exercise I undertake, the single most important thing I do for my feet to keep them healthy is to take care of them after I dance. At the end of every workout I will sit down and hold my feet, channeling energy through the hips, knees and feet. By supporting the consistent flow of energy, any stress or trauma from activity is nullified. It is absolutely fantastic for circulation.

Hold your feet whenever you can.

Foot joint flexibility is extremely important. It is essential for walking more easily. The foot has 32 joints. Each toe except the big toe has 3 joints. The big toe like the thumb has 2. Each ankle has 10 joints with some being complex (one bone connecting with more than one other). Yet we use our feet as if they are solid blocks. To walk properly, you have to roll through the foot instead of plopping it down. Stiff joints also increase inflammation and reduce circulation, 2 things we don't need more of as we age. Foot joint flexibility improves with exercise and massage.

Visualize foot health: Visualization is a powerful learning tool. I once had a student who was nearly blind. In my work I emphasize use of eye focus in helping people improve their balance. I asked my student if it bothered him that I talked about eye focus so much. His response was: Not at all. Instead of being able to focus his eyes, he imagined that he could. Just the thought improved his balance! Visualizing health in the foot can be a very powerful aide. Click below for some wonderful guidelines.

The Building Better Balance series of DVD balance classes places great emphasis on foot exercise. Each of the 4 DVDs contains a different 10 minute foot routine which can be done by itself or as an essential part of the balance class. The second DVD, Legs & Feet, teaches you how to walk properly. In addition, the special feature on that DVD contains a routine for neuropathy of the feet which includes coordination exercise for nervous system health as well as exercises devoted to symptom relief.