Swollen Ankles, Foot Pain and Obesity - is this you after 50?

In an average lifetime, a human being will walk the equivalent of five times around the earth yet we ignore and neglect our feet until they start to hurt and the latter will happen around or near the age of 50.

In the past 3 years, the size of my feet has changed from a US 7.5 to 8 and in some shoes, a size 8.5. Recently though, another change occurred which sent me into a quandary - while I might expect that different styles of shoes may fit differently and perhaps require me to wear a different size, I began to experience that some days, a pair of shoes will fit comfortably with no burning toes and on other days, the same pair of shoes will make my feet burn like crazy. This was now a challenge for God, Google and girlfriends!

I have met so many persons with feet and knee problems that this research is really overdue. It turns out that there are quite a few foot ailments related to women over 50, one of which explains the changing shoe size mystery.

So, what are some of these foot problems and why do we have them?

Obesity causes foot pain

Obesity is the most common causal factor. Overweight in the pre- and post-menopause periods is a major culprit in causing foot pains. We gain weight as we age - easier and faster, and that weight puts pressure on the parts of our body that carry it - our feet!

Obesity can cause several foot diseases such as Metatarsalgia which is a thinning of the balls of your feet leading to pain and inflammation.

Obesity can also cause us to distort our posture which in turn exacerbates our foot problems leading to knee, hip and back problems.

Solutions?

The long known but very difficult and challenging to implement solution is weight loss! There are so many diseases for example, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, foot, knee and hip pains, caused by obesity that the effort to eliminate this condition is well worth it.

Get on a lifestyle diet and exercise and get healthy.

Thinning heels and soles

Did you know that after 50 we lose approximately 50% of the fat from the soles of our heels? This is caused by the reduction in collagen production as we age. With less protective padding around the nerves, tendons and ligaments of our heels, we begin to experience pain in our feet. The condition even has a name - Heel Fat Pad Syndrome or Fat Pad Atrophy.

Ageing and that old bane, overweight cause Heel Fat Pad Syndrome. Podiatry Today

gives an in-depth analysis of this condition which they say can be caused by “a gradual loss of collagen, a decrease in the elastic fibrous tissue and a decrease in water content”.

Fat Pad Atrophy should be distinguished from Plantar Fasciitis which also causes pain in the heels. The difference is in the location and timing of the pain. Pain from Fat Pad Atrophy tends to occur after prolonged standing or walking and is centralized in the heel whilst plantar fasciitis tends to occur after sleeping and upon getting up.

Solutions?

1. Wear proper and comfortable fitting shoes and definitely avoid high heels so that the foot is well supported and cushioned.

2. Cushioning the heel by wearing insoles or pads may also reduce or prevent pain.

3. One should also minimize activities that put pressure on the heel such as walking or running on hard or uneven surfaces.

4. As a last resort, persons have also replaced the fat on their heels through surgery that augments the plantar fat pad.

Plantar fasciitis

The thinning of the fat at the bottom of our feet can also lead to Plantar Fasciitis. Unlike Fat Pad Atrophy, the pain may be focused along the band of the tissue which connects the heel bone to the toes. Symptoms can be pain in your heel or arch as you get out of bed. The pain may wear off as you become active but may return if you sit or stand for extended periods of time.

Solutions?

1. Loose weight if obese

2. Wear ‘proper’ shoes that provide good arch and heel support

3. Stretch your heel and foot

4. Avoid high heels and avoid staying or sitting for prolonged periods and

5. Try not to stress your feet by running or dancing especially on hard surfaces.

Edema caused by Inactivity

If we sit or stand for long periods of time, our ankles may swell. This is referred to as edema in the ankles. What exactly is edema? It’s a build up of excess fluid in our tissues in various parts of the body like the ankles, hands, legs, arms and feet.

We have become a very sedentary people especially since the applications that we use are accessible through small devices such as our tablets, laptops and cellphones. We can sit all morning at our desks, sit (again) for lunch, return to sit (again) at our desk, then sit (again) in the car/train or bus on the way home; when we get home, we sit (again!) on the couch all night and watch some soaps/movies/news, fall asleep and then go to bed.

When, as happens in such a lifestyle, our muscles are not activated to pump our body fluids (water and blood) to the heart, these fluids will be retained in the lower part of the body and cause swelling in our legs and/or ankles.

Be aware however that whilst inactivity may lead to edema, it can also be caused by kidney or heart failure, thyroidal issues, pregnancy, cirrhosis of the liver or side effects of medication like aspirins, steroids, anti-depressants, estrogen. If you experience heat, redness, tenderness and persistent swelling in your ankles or feet, you should see a doctor.

I found out by experience that it was the periodic but hardly perceptible swelling of my ankles that caused the mysterious changes in the fit of my shoes. As I said before, one pair of shoes would fit well on one day and then the same shoes would fit tightly on another day. The mystery has been solved and solutions determined.

Solutions?

There are some natural medication-free remedies that you can try:

1. Increase movement through exercise. at your desk or while standing or sitting. There are some simple exercises that you can do at your desk like rotating your ankles in both directions while sitting or pressing up on the balls of your feet.

2. While sleeping or lying down, elevate your feet above your heart. And while sitting, elevate your feet (not necessarily above your heart) instead of having them hang down for so long.

3. Gently massaging your ankles. I use organic coconut oil for this and it works wonders.

4. Soak your ankles in epsom salt and warm water for about half an hour. This works for sore feet, in fact any sore part of your body, as well. (Not if there is broken skin though).

5. Interject some walking into your daily routine - it can be as simple as walking up and down a flight of stairs. Instead of taking the elevator for example, take the stairs.

6. Make sure to drink your daily requirement of water (this varies according to your size and body mass) but drink when you are thirsty for sure and definitely first thing in the morning to rev up your digestive system.

Organic Coconut Oil is excellent for massaging sore muscles, as a hair dress, for skin care and as a dietary supplement

Never say Never

If it is one thing that I’ve learned as I enter and pass through this season of my life is ‘never say never’. I used to wonder why elderly persons would wear flats and not so stylish shoes at that. After all the research that I have done to write this article, I am convinced that wearing high heels (too often) is a definite no no for women over 50. So I’m on a mission to source comfortable yet stylish sandals which can be worn on casual or dressy occasions. We can be and look healthy too.

I want to say with Oprah Winfrey “I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.”