Foot health problems, such as pain or deformity, will often lead to an older person avoiding activity. The avoidance of physical activity and exercise over the long term causes a reduction in strength and balance, which in turn leads to an increased risk of falls. There has been a growing body of research behind feet and footwear risk factors, interventions for those with foot pain and an emerging consensus on best practice. Click on the icons below to visit each section or see a full list of contents below.
Table of Contents
- 1. BACKGROUND
- 1.1. Foot health
- 2. THE LINK BETWEEN FEET AND FALLS
- 2.1. Strength loss around the ankle with increasing age and in fallers
- 2.2. Range of motion loss around the ankle with increasing age
- 2.3. Disabling foot pain
- 2.4. Foot deformities
- 2.5. Tactile Paving and older people
- 3. THE LINK BETWEEN FOOTWEAR AND FALLS
- 4. FOOT AND FOOTWEAR ASSESSMENT
- 4.1. Questions used within Falls Services
- 4.2. What makes a shoe safe?
- 4.3. Podiatric Assessment of the Geriatric Foot
- 5. INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT IMPROVING BALANCE AND GAIT
- 5.1. Interventions considering orthoses
- 5.2. Interventions considering textured and raised edge insoles
- 5.3. Interventions considering vibrating insoles
- 5.4. Interventions aimed at the strength of the ankles
- 5.5. Interventions aimed at improving ankle sensation
- 6. INTERVENTIONS AIMED AT REDUCING FALLS
- 6.1. Interventions to reduce falls in those with disabling foot pain
- 7. RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICE FOR OLDER PEOPLE
- 7.1. Safe shoe checklist
- 7.2. So what does this mean?
- 8. FEET AND FALLS PREVENTION – USEFUL INFORMATION
