Did you know that the root cause of painful foot conditions can begin in your 20s and 30s? However, on average, most people develop foot pain in their 60s. Unfortunately, most people take their feet for granted. Except for some women who get regular pedicures, many people just don’t take good care of their feet.

In a survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association, 53% of people have reported foot pain so severe that it restricted their daily activities. However, a lot of people believe foot pain is just a part of the aging process. They accept it as a fact of life and suffer through the pain.

Foot pain can be a symptom in common foot conditions that occur as you age. These conditions include: arthritis of the joints, plantar fasciitis, thinning of the  fat pads that cushion the soles, bunions, poor circulation and toenail fungus. However, almost all of these conditions can be avoided with proactive measures.  To determine if you need to start taking preventive steps now to avoid developing painful foot conditions as you age, answer the following questions:

Are you overweight? Excessive amounts of weight put a lot of stress on your feet. This force can be up to 120% of your weight. The muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet can stretch and weaken due to this extra weight, causing your arches to become flat. This can lead to plantar fasciitis and heel pain, as well as worsening hammertoes and bunions. You can also develop pain in your shins, knees, hips and lower back.

Do you have diabetes? People with diabetes can develop many different foot problems. Most foot issues occur due to nerve damage, or neuropathy, which causes you to lose feeling in your feet. Poor circulation can also cause complications to develop since your feet are located the farthest from your heart. Together, neuropathy and poor circulation make it easy for people with diabetes to develop foot ulcers and infections that may lead to amputation. Therefore, people with diabetes should have their feet examined regularly by their doctor and avoid wearing tight shoes that can cause abrasions and pressure.

Do you have poor circulation? If you suffer from peripheral artery disease, or a narrowing of the veins in your legs, your feet are more susceptible to developing foot problems. Some preventative steps you can take include:

• Stop smoking, since smoking can cause your arteries to harden faster.
• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
• Exercise to stimulate blood flow in your legs and feet. Always wear sturdy, good-fitting, comfortable shoes when walking.

Do your parents have foot problems? If your family has a history of foot problems, then you may develop them as well. Bunions, hammertoes and overlapping toes are usually inherited traits. Bunions are due to biomechanical imbalances during walking; while hammertoes and overlapping toes are from the effect of poor biomechanical functions of the foot. However, you can take proactive measures by having your footwear properly fitted to support your feet which can reduce these risks significantly.

Are you double-jointed? If you can bend back your thumb to touch your lower arm, then the ligaments in your feet are probably stretchy, too. Therefore, the muscles supporting your feet have to work harder, which can lead to injuries, like plantar fasciitis. Since this type of foot is highly flexible, you should wear
motion-controlling, supportive shoes with a proper custom orthotic, like the ezWalker^® Performance Insole, which will provide superior control to keep your foot in the best possible health as it ages.

Do you have flat feet or high arches? Both conditions can put your feet at risk. Usually, a flat foot is simply a hyper-flexible foot, which can cause your muscles and tendons to stretch and weaken. This can lead to a lack of support that can cause knee, hip, and back pain; plantar fasciitis, tendinitis; and arthritis conditions. Shoes and proper custom orthotics, like the ezWalker^® Performance Insole, that support the arch and heel can help flat feet by controlling the excessive flexibility and reducing fatigue.

Typically, a high arch is a bit more rigid and has little shock absorption. This puts more pressure on the ball and heel of your foot, as well as on your knees, hips and back. A person with a high-arched foot suffers foot pain because there is nothing supporting the arch since it’s too high. Custom orthotics, like the
ezWalker^® Insole, provide proper support to the arch. Additionally, you should wear roomy shoes that have softer padding or thicker soles to absorb the shock.

The ezWalker^® Performance Insole is a proper biomechanical custom orthotic that provides your arches with functional support. The ezWalker^® aids your foot’s function and doesn’t inhibit it. Over-the-counter arch supports and poorly designed custom orthotics can actually inhibit the way the foot is supposed to  function, and over time, they can actually cause painful foot conditions to develop due to atrophy or misalignment of the bones. Since it’s difficult to recondition the foot once these conditions exist, it’s best to invest in proper functional orthotics, like the ezWalker^®, in the first place.

For more information on possible solutions to your foot pain, visit the WalkEzStore. The ezWalker^® Performance Insole is the only custom orthotic sold on the Internet that uses a biomechanical non-weight-bearing casting method that is unique to our store. Your foot is placed into impression foam in a strategic
manner using our 7-step process, which will control the hind foot and allow proper function of the 1^st metatarsal joint – creating a better step with each step you take.

The ezWalker^® insole comes with a 90-day, money-back guarantee. So, you’ve got nothing to lose, but your foot pain. Try it today!

ezWalker^® Custom Orthotics – Remember … when your feet feel good, you feel good.