Chronic foot pain in older people

Abstract

Foot pain is a common accompaniment of advancing age, affecting at least one in four older people. However, management of foot pain is a largely undervalued aspect of geriatric health care, resulting in many older people needlessly enduring chronic foot pain and related disability. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of (i) the prevalence and risk factors for foot pain, (ii) the impact of foot pain on mobility and quality of life, and (iii) the conservative management of foot pain. The available evidence indicates that although foot pain is common and disabling in older people, conservative interventions such as routine foot care, footwear advice and foot orthoses are effective at reducing foot pain and may also assist in maintaining mobility and independence in this age group.

Keywords: Ageing; Foot; Pain.