Aging Doesn't Cause Foot Pain

Article submitted by Dr. Todd Galle,  Board Certified Podiatric Surgeon at the Arizona Institute of Footcare Physicians.
For more information, he can be reached at 480-834-8804.

People with foot pain can do something about it. Instead of abiding by the faulty but commonly accepted notion that muscle and joint discomfort is a natural consequence of aging, people with foot problems should seek treatment rather than needlessly endure pain that will deprive them of an active lifestyle, according to Dr. Todd Galle.

"Unfortunately many people believe it's normal to have pain as you get older, but nothing could be further from the truth," said Dr. Galle. "As a result, they usually don't seek treatment for painful abnormalities, such as bunions, which are caused by genetic defects - not old age - and can be corrected with surgery and a short recovery period."

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that bunion surgery is more than 80 percent successful in relieving pain. "In older patients, bunions can be very debilitating because these deformities worsen, they may become more painful over time," said Galle. "Given the outstanding success rate of corrective forefoot surgery, there's no reason for any one to be debilitated by bunions. Further, the adverse health implications of being inactive are far more serious than any risk associated with surgery."

Galle said people who are avid walkers frequently have heel pain, especially if they've been relatively inactive in the summer months. For those experiencing this problem, Dr. Galle advised that icing the area and doing daily stretching exercises usually provide some relief. But if heel pain persists more than two weeks, he recommends a consultation with a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon for definitive diagnosis and treatment.

Chronic heel pain originates deep within the foot, directly on the heel or within the bone's connective tissues, called the fascia. Pain can result when the fascia becomes irritated or inflamed. In the large majority of cases, persistent heel pain can be treated successfully with orthotics, according to Dr. Galle. "Orthotics provide a cushion and support that help reduce inflammation and stress in the heel area."

In situations when conservative treatment fails, outpatient surgical procedures are effective. "Surgery for heel pain doesn't require a long recovery period and it permanently relieves the source of pressure on the heel bone," he added. Three or four weeks of physical therapy generally follow heel surgery and full recovery takes six to eight weeks.