Foot and Ankle Health for All Ages
Building upon our last blog entry, this blog is going to focus on foot and ankle health. Specifically, the strategies someone can implement that consider the current scientific evidence, my personal experience as a chiropractor here in Burlington, as well as patient feedback over the years.
Is your foot and ankle health optimised so that you are as athletic as you can be?
Are there ways you can perhaps reduce the chances of sustaining a common foot and ankle injury?
Balance
Starting from the bottom, balance is probably the most important and easiest to implement. This can benefit people of all ages. Obviously, for the older readers, it’s a great way to reduce the chance of falling and to build confidence with movement in day-to-day activities. For those playing sports, it can help reduce the chance of ankle sprains and other lower limb injuries. To improve your balance, you just need to practise. I usually recommend that patients practice in a safe environment where there is no risk of falling. Perhaps move some chairs around you so that you won’t fall to the floor if you fall. Stand on one foot (no shoes) and see if you can improve your ability to balance over time. For the younger athletes and those who are able, progress to closing your eyes and adding in a lunging movement. Again, if done safely, this strategy has no obvious downside and can improve your brain’s ability to control the foot and ankle so that you’re steadier on your feet. For athletes, it may even improve athletic performance.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a very common condition that affects the bottom of the foot. Ask anyone who has experienced this condition, and they will assure you it is very slow to resolve in most cases. It doesn’t typically affect younger patients, but for the adult readers out there, plantar fasciitis is a good condition to avoid. Although there is no definitive evidence on prevention, a reasonable blend of evidence and experience would suggest stretching the calf muscles and strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the foot to be helpful. Again, since there’s really no downside to a little stretching and strengthening, this is a good thing to add to anyone’s routine.
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is another common condition that is a little stubborn to resolve. The term “metatarsalgia” can be translated to pain in the metatarsals (bones in the foot). With metatarsalgia, the “balls” of the feet become quite tender to touch and painful when standing. Once this condition has set in, it can be very frustrating to resolve, and you constantly irritate the tender area by standing and walking. Prevention is key. Many people wait too long before adopting the habit of wearing shoes in the house, and their metatarsalgia becomes challenging to resolve. Simply put, if the bones in your feet start to get sore, it might be a good idea to just always wear soft soles for a while until the tenderness settles down, and you can go back to your regular habits of walking around barefoot.
Achilles Tendon Injuries
Rounding out the list of common ailments that impact many adults, achilles tendon injuries would have to be on the list. In short, if you’re able to reduce the chances of experiencing plantar fasciitis, metatarsalgia and achilles tendinopathy or achilles tendon tears, you’re doing well as an adult. For the achilles tendon, like many injury prevention strategies, the idea is to prepare the tissue for the demands you will place on the area and make it as capable as possible. I think it’s fair to say that stretching would likely have less impact on improving capacity when we compare it to strengthening. Therefore, careful progressions in strengthening of the calf muscles is a prudent course of action, although stretching is unlikely to cause any problems for an uninjured achilles tendon, so it’s worth doing as well. Again, the downsides are minimal. Ideally, we would progress from slow, careful resistance exercises and add weight over time. Eventually, heavy, slow resistance training for the calves is a good idea. After that point, a typical progression is to add speed to the exercise. Hopping, jumping and other plyometric exercises (along with strengthening) are a reasonable effort to help reduce the chance of a significant achilles tendon injury like rupture. At this point, however, it might be wise to get the advice of a suitable health care practitioner to make sure this progression is appropriate for you. One might argue that at some point in life, hopping and doing pogo exercises aren’t a good idea, but you could also make the argument that this type of preparation could help prevent a rupture that might occur during a misstep in winter weather. Regardless, gentle stretching with more of a focus on strengthening is a prudent way to make the achilles tendon more resilient.
Proper Footwear
A list of foot and ankle strategies for aging adults would not be complete without mentioning footwear. There isn’t one shoe that is recommended for everyone. What works for one person might not work for another. Some people do well with walking around their house barefoot, while others do not. In my opinion, a good running shoe is the best option for comfort and foot health. For some, a neutral running shoe is appropriate, while others who overpronate do well with a supportive arch. Not everyone needs a custom orthotic, but for those with foot and ankle pain which is not responding to different running shoes, a custom orthotic in a neutral shoe is a reasonable effort.
In short, when taking a reasonable consideration of the evidence, my clinical experience and patient success stories over the years here in Burlington, the following strategies might help to optimize any aging athlete’s foot and ankle health…
- Practise your balance.
- Stretch your calf muscles.
- Try strengthening exercises for the muscles in your feet/arches.
- Wear good footwear and consider orthotics if necessary.
- Wear footwear in the house if you are prone to pain in the balls of your toes.
- Strengthen the calf muscles to support your achilles.
- Consider plyometrics and jumping exercises if suitable.
As always, these suggestions are not specific advice. You should always consult with a suitable healthcare provider before starting any new exercises or strategies to ensure they are safe and appropriate for your condition and level of health.
For any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team at Burlington Sports Therapy.
