Around 33% of elderly adults have foot pain, stiffness, or aching feet. Many experience more significant issues.

Whether you’re experiencing pain yourself or you’re caring for an elderly patient, it’s important to know what to do about foot problems and discomfort. Some simple changes can help you prevent foot pain and eliminate it once it occurs.

In this guide, we’ll tell you how to treat foot pain in elderly patients.

Types of Foot Pain Problems

There are many different foot problems that are common in seniors. Some foot problems that seniors experience include:

• Bunions
• Hammertoes
• Corns and calluses
• Athlete’s foot
• Ingrown toenails
• Arthritis and gout
• Sprains and broken bones

As you age, simple foot problems can become more dangerous and can affect mobility and balance quite a bit more. They can also lead to other health issues.

Tips for Treating Foot Problems

It’s important to prevent problems in an elderly individual before they occur. You should aim to recognize when it’s important to change your lifestyle or see a doctor.

Here are some tips for caring for the feet of elderly adults.

Check the Feet Regularly

One of the key steps to keeping healthy feet is to pay attention to them. It’s important to examine the feet of an elderly individual on a regular basis to look for problems such as cuts, cracks, sores, and blisters.

Once a problem is recognized, then it’s important to take action to treat the problem.

Apply Lotion

Using lotion regularly is one of the best ways to prevent senior foot problems. Dry skin is more likely to crack or break, so it’s important to moisturize.

Be sure to apply moisturizer after washing and drying the feet in order to keep the skin healthy.

Make Footwear Changes

Elderly patients should especially pay attention to the type of footwear they use each day.

Be sure that you or the elderly patient you care for has shoes that aren’t too big or too small. It’s also a good idea to get comfortable socks to wear that will be breathable and moisture-wicking.

Keep Nails Trimmed

Nails that aren’t trimmed may be more likely to experience fungal infections. Overgrown nails could also cause discomfort when walking.

To avoid these problems, make sure that you or your elderly patient get your toenails trimmed regularly to prevent issues and promote better foot hygiene.

Get Medical Treatment

If making lifestyle changes doesn’t prevent or eliminate foot problems in elderly patients, then it may be time to get medical attention. Getting treatment from a doctor is important for certain conditions and can help prevent further problems.

It’s a good idea to speak with a podiatrist to get a clear idea of what you should be doing to care for your feet and prevent the specific problems you have.

It can especially be helpful to get medical help in the case of foot neuropathy and nerve damage. So what is foot neuropathy and what are the treatment options? Be sure to click the link to learn more.

Treating Foot Problems in Elderly Patients

If you want to prevent and treat foot problems in elderly individuals, be sure to follow these tips. Remember to keep a close eye on the condition of the feet and get treatment when necessary.

Need more helpful elderly care tips? Browse our blog now to find more useful guides.