Health in older people begins with the feet. Healthy feet allow you to lead an active and healthy life as they play a fundamental role in relation to walking and maintaining balance.
The main challenge of Podomedic Centre is to help control any nuisance our patients have and to establish proper foot-care habits, in order to ensure that they re-walk properly and improve their quality of life.
The foot of the elderly is the target of numerous conditions dominated
by static disorders, trophic disorders and affections
skin and nail. But to all this they also add, in the
older people, the repercussions of regional diseases
such as rheumatic, vascular, neurological,
skin, etc.
With age, the fat in the foot plant changes its buffering ability and may cause problems of poor circulation and hydration. These conditions may result in complications in patients with diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and vascular disorders to be taken into account and controlled.
These are some of the most common alterations:
- Alterations in the nails: for changes in structure and thickness (incarnated nails, ungueal dystrophy, fungal infections).
- Digital Alterations: derived from osteoarticular diseases (arthrosis, obesity or diabetes). The most frequent alterations in older people are: hallux valgus, better known as "bunion", hammertoe and the supraductus toe.
- Alterations in the skin: as a result of the dehydration of the feet. The most common alterations are: hyperkeratosis (increasing skin thickness in areas under pressure and/or rubbing) and cracks (due to excessive dryness of the skin). Other alterations related to the skin are athlete's foot, ulcers, bromhydrosis and hiperhydrosis.
Geriatric podological care in Podomedic Center, includes in the first visit:
Chiropody: It consists of a therapeutic cutting of nails, treatment of helomas or corns, treatment of hyperkeratosi and relaxing massage hydration.
Vascular scan to detect vascular disorders:
- Observation of skin color and temperature
- Surface lesions or ulcers presence detection
- Arterial pressure measurement
- Non-invasive test that measures and quantifies blood flow through arteries with Doppler study
Structural alterations detected during exploration can be mitigated or corrected using custom orthotics that can be of two types:
- Orthotics: they get the right position from the feet and decrease the pain.
- Interdigital orthoses: they correct and protect the toes.
