AgePage

National Institute on Aging

2

Foot Care

When we are in love, we may be “swept 

off our feet.” When we don’t want to do 

something, we are said to have “cold feet.” 

A sensible person “has both feet on the ground.” 

Sometimes we even “vote with our feet.”

It’s important to put “your best foot 

forward.” Be kind to your feet. Years of 

wear and tear can be hard on feet. So 

can disease, bad circulation, poorly 

trimmed toenails, and wearing shoes 

that don’t fit right. Foot problems 

are sometimes the first sign of more 

serious medical conditions such as 

arthritis, diabetes, and nerve or 

circulatory disorders.

Step in the Right Direction

Practice good foot care. Check your 

feet often, or have a member of your 

family check them. If you have a problem 

with your feet, your family doctor can 

help or you can see a podiatrist (doctor 

who treats feet). 

Sometimes, the 

special skills of an 

orthopedic surgeon or 

dermatologist are needed.

One easy step to take is to 

remember to put your feet up when you 

are sitting down. This helps keep blood 

moving to your feet. So can stretching, 

walking, or having a gentle foot massage. 

A warm foot bath is also helpful, but 

make sure your feet are dry before 

you put on your shoes. Try to avoid 

pressure from shoes that don’t fit right. 

Don’t sit for a long time or keep your 

legs crossed for too long. Don’t smoke.

Make Sure the Shoes Fit

Protect your feet by wearing shoes 

whenever you go outdoors. Wearing 

comfortable shoes that fit well can 

prevent many foot problems. Here 

are some tips for making sure your 

shoes fit:

✦ Shoe size may change as you age 

so always have your feet measured 

before buying shoes. The best time 

to measure your feet is at the end 

of the day when your feet are largest. 

✦ Most of us have one foot that is 

larger than the other; fit your 

shoe to your larger foot. 

5 6

Corns and calluses are caused 

by pressure when the bony 

parts of your feet rub against 

your shoes. Wearing shoes 

that fit better or using 

special pads may 

help. You may 

feel better if you 

use some over-thecounter medicines, but 

they do not treat the cause 

of the problem. See your 

doctor, especially if you have 

diabetes or circulation problems. 

Warts are skin growths caused by 

viruses. They are sometimes painful 

and may spread if not treated. Overthe-counter products rarely cure warts, 

so you may need to see your doctor. 

Bunions develop when the joints 

in your big toe no longer fit together. 

They become swollen and tender. 

Bunions tend to run in families. If a 

bunion is not too painful, wearing 

shoes cut wide at the toes and instep 

(middle part of the foot), taping the 

foot, or wearing pads that cushion 

the bunion may help. Physical therapy 

and shoe inserts can bring relief. See 

your doctor. Medicines can help with 

pain. Sometimes surgery is needed 

to relieve the pressure and repair 

the toe joint.

Ingrown toenails are caused by a 

piece of the nail breaking the skin. 

This can happen if you don’t cut your 

toenails straight across so the corner 

of the nail can be seen above the skin. 

Use clippers made to cut toenails. 

Ingrown toenails are very common in 

the large toes. A doctor can remove 

the part of the nail that is cutting 

into the skin so the area can heal. 

Hammertoe is caused by a 

shortening of the tendons that control 

toe movements. The toe knuckle grows 

and pulls the toe back. Over time, the 

joint gets bigger and stiffens as it rubs 

against shoes. This can affect your 

balance. More space in the shoe or 

stocking can help. In very serious 

cases, surgery may be needed.

Spurs are calcium bumps that 

grow on bones of your feet. They are 

caused by stress on the feet. Standing 

for long periods of time, wearing badly 

fitting shoes, or being overweight can 

make spurs worse. Sometimes spurs 

are painless. At other times, they can 

hurt. Treatments for spurs are foot 

supports, heel pads, and heel cups. 

Sometimes surgery is needed.

Swollen feet may be a sign of 

more serious health problems. If you 

continue to have swollen feet and 

ankles, see your doctor.

5 6 7 8

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services

Public Health Service

National Institutes of Health

May 2007

Corns and calluses are caused 

by pressure when the bony 

parts of your feet rub against 

your shoes. Wearing shoes 

that fit better or using 

special pads may 

help. You may 

feel better if you 

use some over-thecounter medicines, but 

they do not treat the cause 

of the problem. See your 

doctor, especially if you have 

diabetes or circulation problems. 

Warts are skin growths caused by 

viruses. They are sometimes painful 

and may spread if not treated. Overthe-counter products rarely cure warts, 

so you may need to see your doctor. 

Bunions develop when the joints 

in your big toe no longer fit together. 

They become swollen and tender. 

Bunions tend to run in families. If a 

bunion is not too painful, wearing 

shoes cut wide at the toes and instep 

(middle part of the foot), taping the 

foot, or wearing pads that cushion 

the bunion may help. Physical therapy 

and shoe inserts can bring relief. See 

your doctor. Medicines can help with 

pain. Sometimes surgery is needed 

to relieve the pressure and repair 

the toe joint.

Ingrown toenails are caused by a 

piece of the nail breaking the skin. 

This can happen if you don’t cut your 

toenails straight across so the corner 

of the nail can be seen above the skin. 

Use clippers made to cut toenails. 

Ingrown toenails are very common in 

the large toes. A doctor can remove 

the part of the nail that is cutting 

into the skin so the area can heal. 

Hammertoe is caused by a 

shortening of the tendons that control 

toe movements. The toe knuckle grows 

and pulls the toe back. Over time, the 

joint gets bigger and stiffens as it rubs 

against shoes. This can affect your 

balance. More space in the shoe or 

stocking can help. In very serious 

cases, surgery may be needed.

Spurs are calcium bumps that 

grow on bones of your feet. They are 

caused by stress on the feet. Standing 

for long periods of time, wearing badly 

fitting shoes, or being overweight can 

make spurs worse. Sometimes spurs 

are painless. At other times, they can 

hurt. Treatments for spurs are foot 

supports, heel pads, and heel cups. 

Sometimes surgery is needed.

Swollen feet may be a sign of 

more serious health problems. If you 

continue to have swollen feet and 

ankles, see your doctor.

Stay on Your Toes

If you have diabetes or peripheral 

artery disease, good foot care is very 

important. Both diseases can cause 

poor blood flow to the feet. Scrapes 

or bruises can become infected. Make 

sure your doctor checks your feet. 

Don’t Get Off on the 

Wrong Foot

Good foot care and regular foot 

checks are an important part of your 

health care. Your doctor should look 

at your feet often. If you have foot 

problems, be sure to talk to your doctor. 

For More Information

The following list of non-Federal 

resources will help you get started:

American Podiatric Medical Association

9312 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda, Maryland 20814-1621

800-366-8227 (toll-free)

www.apma.org

American Orthopaedic Foot and 

Ankle Society

6300 North River Road, Suite 510

Rosemont, Illinois 60018

800-235-4855 (toll-free)

www.aofas.org

For more information about health 

and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging 

Information Center 

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20898-8057

800-222-2225

800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)

www.nih.nia.gov

To order publications (in English 

or Spanish) or sign up for regular 

email alerts, visit www.nia.nih.gov/

HealthInformation.

Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov 

(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health information for older adults. 

There are also special features that 

make it simple to use. For example, 

you can click on a button to have 

the text read out loud or to make 

the type larger.
5 6 7 8

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services

Public Health Service

National Institutes of Health

May 2007

Corns and calluses are caused 

by pressure when the bony 

parts of your feet rub against 

your shoes. Wearing shoes 

that fit better or using 

special pads may 

help. You may 

feel better if you 

use some over-thecounter medicines, but 

they do not treat the cause 

of the problem. See your 

doctor, especially if you have 

diabetes or circulation problems. 

Warts are skin growths caused by 

viruses. They are sometimes painful 

and may spread if not treated. Overthe-counter products rarely cure warts, 

so you may need to see your doctor. 

Bunions develop when the joints 

in your big toe no longer fit together. 

They become swollen and tender. 

Bunions tend to run in families. If a 

bunion is not too painful, wearing 

shoes cut wide at the toes and instep 

(middle part of the foot), taping the 

foot, or wearing pads that cushion 

the bunion may help. Physical therapy 

and shoe inserts can bring relief. See 

your doctor. Medicines can help with 

pain. Sometimes surgery is needed 

to relieve the pressure and repair 

the toe joint.

Ingrown toenails are caused by a 

piece of the nail breaking the skin. 

This can happen if you don’t cut your 

toenails straight across so the corner 

of the nail can be seen above the skin. 

Use clippers made to cut toenails. 

Ingrown toenails are very common in 

the large toes. A doctor can remove 

the part of the nail that is cutting 

into the skin so the area can heal. 

Hammertoe is caused by a 

shortening of the tendons that control 

toe movements. The toe knuckle grows 

and pulls the toe back. Over time, the 

joint gets bigger and stiffens as it rubs 

against shoes. This can affect your 

balance. More space in the shoe or 

stocking can help. In very serious 

cases, surgery may be needed.

Spurs are calcium bumps that 

grow on bones of your feet. They are 

caused by stress on the feet. Standing 

for long periods of time, wearing badly 

fitting shoes, or being overweight can 

make spurs worse. Sometimes spurs 

are painless. At other times, they can 

hurt. Treatments for spurs are foot 

supports, heel pads, and heel cups. 

Sometimes surgery is needed.

Swollen feet may be a sign of 

more serious health problems. If you 

continue to have swollen feet and 

ankles, see your doctor.

Stay on Your Toes

If you have diabetes or peripheral 

artery disease, good foot care is very 

important. Both diseases can cause 

poor blood flow to the feet. Scrapes 

or bruises can become infected. Make 

sure your doctor checks your feet. 

Don’t Get Off on the 

Wrong Foot

Good foot care and regular foot 

checks are an important part of your 

health care. Your doctor should look 

at your feet often. If you have foot 

problems, be sure to talk to your doctor. 

For More Information

The following list of non-Federal 

resources will help you get started:

American Podiatric Medical Association

9312 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda, Maryland 20814-1621

800-366-8227 (toll-free)

www.apma.org

American Orthopaedic Foot and 

Ankle Society

6300 North River Road, Suite 510

Rosemont, Illinois 60018

800-235-4855 (toll-free)

www.aofas.org

For more information about health 

and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging 

Information Center 

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20898-8057

800-222-2225

800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)

www.nih.nia.gov

To order publications (in English 

or Spanish) or sign up for regular 

email alerts, visit www.nia.nih.gov/

HealthInformation.

Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov 

(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health information for older adults. 

There are also special features that 

make it simple to use. For example, 

you can click on a button to have 

the text read out loud or to make 

the type larger.