Do feet change with age?

As humans age there are a lot of changes in the body and the feet are no different. So yes, feet do change with age but why?

There are 26 bones in one foot so that means there are a lot of joints. Ligaments and muscles are the main things holding your bones and joints together in your foot. Therefore, changes to bone, ligaments and muscles can affect foot structure and this may ultimately affect foot function. Below will outline some common causes that can change your foot structure and biomechanics.

Common causes that can change foot structure

Pregnancy

The hormones during pregnancy are designed to allow ligaments to relax to aid in child birth. But did you know these hormones also relax the ligaments in your foot? For this reason, women often find that their feet are more flexible and collapsed post child birth. This often results in a foot that is more flat and wider and many first-time mums find that they can’t fit into their old shoes any more.

Arthritis / wear and tear

The foot is designed to be flexible and foot joints are designed to move. This allows the foot to shock absorb and to adapt to surfaces when walking. Arthritis and excessive wear to joints with age will result in decreased range of motion in foot joints. If certain joints don’t move this will cause pressure and compensation in other joints of the foot. Loss of motion in any foot joint can severely affect foot function and shape. Feet with severe arthritis will act more rigid and this will cause forces being absorbed in other joints further up the body such as the knee and hip.

Muscle tightness

As we age muscles become less flexible and tighter, especially the calf muscle. This can lead to a tighter plantar fascia and cause plantarflexion and compensation of the big toe. The end result is a more rigid foot that doesn’t shock absorb and this can often lead to foot pain.

Reduced muscle and ligament strength

As we age we lose strength in our foot muscles and our foot ligaments become weaker from overuse and supporting our weight. This is especially true in individuals who are overweight. The end result is a more collapsed foot and this is another common cause of your feet getting flatter and wider with age.

Reduced fat pad cushion

With age the fat pads under your forefoot and heel become thinner. This results in a foot that is more bony and less cushioned, with people finding it harder to walk on harder surfaces. This is often a common cause of forefoot and heel pain as extra stress is loaded on the bones.

Acute injury to the foot / surgery

Acute injury to the foot such as broken bones, surgery, ligament tears and tendon ruptures will also affect foot function. Broken bones or surgery may result in damage to joints and a decrease in range of motion. This can cause a foot to be more rigid and poor at shock absorption, resulting in a higher chance of foot pain. Ligament tears and tendon ruptures often result in a foot that is more unstable (like a flat foot) and this can cause excess foot pronation and foot problems.

Have your foot biomechanics changed?

Overall, this means that with time and age your foot biomechanics may have changed. This ultimately may be the cause of symptoms in the foot such as plantar heel pain and plantar fasciitis. It is one of the reasons that us podiatrists see more foot problems in the middle age to older age demographic.

This also means that the custom orthotics you had 10 years ago may not be right for your feet any more. So, what can you do about it? The simple answer is to see one of our Melbourne podiatrists if you are getting any foot pain. We also advise an orthotic assessment with one of our podiatrists if your orthotics are more than 5 years old.

Our Melbourne podiatrists can diagnose the cause of your foot pain and can assess your foot function through computer gait analysis. So, if you want the best for your feet make an appointment with the team of podiatrists at Melbourne Podiatrists & Orthotics today!

Have your feet changed?

At our Melbourne foot clinic our podiatrists are experts in diagnosis and treatment of foot conditions, which are often the result of changes to the feet that occur with age.

So if you suffer from foot pain and think your feet may have changed, book an appointment with one of our friendly podiatrists today!