This document is a part of Gerontology Manual, edited by Ronald G. Stone . Permission is hereby granted for readers to link to this document and to use it for personal educational purposes. This document may not be printed or otherwise downloaded without the permission of the editor . USA Foot Problem of the Elderly Boris Gladun Human bodies have a tendency to age and to this, the foot is no exception. Twenty six bones and the twenty muscles that attach to them, support the weight of the body and respond to balance challenges.
Problems associated with foot are one of the most common among elderly.
For the elderly, mobility becomes a social status of sort, as a decrease in mobility results in their inability to participate in regular, normal activities. Such a decrease in activities force the elderly to suffer negative consequences. One of the manifestations of aging is that of skin dryness and the subsequent thinning of the epidermis. This is probably the result of decreased activity in the oil and sweat glands. The fatpad of the plantar surface of the foot is an important component of the foot alignment.