News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
You tapped them through the Sisters Folk Festival - or got out of your chair and danced on them. They carry you up and down the hiking trails of Sisters Country. They get you to work and to the grocery store.
By the time we hit "a certain age," our feet have walked tens of thousands of miles, stood for hours on hard surfaces (and if you're a woman, probably in heels). All that takes a toll - and not just on our feet. Ankles, knees and backs all pay the price for what we put our feet through. And that's to say nothing about medical conditions, like diabetes, that can have serious implications for the health of our lower extremities.
John Neal of Right Step Orthotics, who specializes in providing inserts to correct problems and support proper foot conditions, says that one thing sends customers to his door above all others.
"Mostly it's just pain," he said. "Pain is what drives people in to see me."
Foot, ankle and knee pain are not only unpleasant; they inhibit us in our favorite activities.
Maggie Saslow, a registered nurse who specializes in senior foot care, notes that "when your feet hurt, you hurt all over."
Our feet are key to our ongoing quality of life - affecting our balance, our mobility, our independence. As we age, it becomes more and more important to take care of them. One of the simplest ways to do that is to make sure we get shoes that fit correctly. That's not as straightforward as it sounds.
"We really do try to measure each customer, because your feet are changing through your entire life," said Karen Saunders, proprietor of The Shoe Inn in Bend. "A lot of people need width; they can't get by on a medium-width shoe."
Convincing customers of that fact can be a challenge.
"You've got to get the right shoe size; that's number-one," said Neal. "I've had arguments with people: 'No! This is the size I wear.'"
Saslow has also seen this phenomenon.
"A lot of elders are really attached to what they think are really good, expensive shoes," she said.
No matter how good the shoe, if it doesn't fit - it doesn't fit. And that's a problem.
Both Saunders and Neal said that problems stemming from too-small shoes usually show up in the forefoot. It's a good idea to make sure the toe-box is deep enough. And sometimes we need toe spacers to deal with issues like hammertoes or bunions and calluses, Saunders notes.
Saunders notes that older people sometimes have a hard time reaching their feet or handling shoelaces.
"Velcro is a great closure for elderly people," she said.
With custom orthotics, Neal can take pressure off of areas of the foot that may be causing a variety of painful conditions.
"Plantar fasciitis is the number-one thing I see," he said.
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. When you've got it, just putting your feet on the floor when you get out of bed can bring on stabbing pain, and going for a hike or even walking around the grocery store becomes a most unpleasant prospect.
Sometimes, relieving pressure on one part of the foot can allow the foot to recover.
Neal also emphasizes the importance of orthotics in correcting alignment problems that send issues starting in the feet up the chain through the ankles, knees and back.
Saslow, who has 18 years of senior foot care under her belt, says that attending to the feet should be done every six to eight weeks on average. Those who can't reach their feet comfortably, or lack the fine coordination to trim toenails and the like should consider tapping the services of someone like Saslow, who can come to you and get that work done.
Saslow notes that toenail care is not just a cosmetic issue. Fungal toenails can cause infections, and aging feet can suffer injury - that the senior may not even be aware of. That's particularly true in the case of diabetes.
Diabetes compromises the microcirculation in the lower extremities. Diabetics often suffer numbness in the feet and/or neuropathic pain.
"I can't fix that," Saslow said. "But one of the problems with the numbness is that they don't know what's going on with their feet. They could have a tack in their toe and not know it."
All three foot-care professionals have seen gratifying success stories, where, given proper shoes and inserts and quality foot care, seniors have been able to continue or resume beloved activities, getting the most out of the delights that we all hold dear in Sisters Country.
Saslow will be away from Sisters until October 15, but more information on her work is available at http://www.sundancefootcare.com. Right Step Orthotics can be reached at 541-636-0855. The Shoe Inn is located at 2680 Northeast Highway 20 #380, Bend; 541- 385-7405.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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