I came across the following advice on the health website, patient.info, which raises a number of questions.
Avoid walking barefoot, even indoors. By the time we reach 65 the fatty protective foot pads have worn thinner through long use. Walking barefoot is no longer recommended as it tends to speed up this process. If the feet are given no extra cushioning - for example, shoes - to make up for what they have lost then painful feet, calluses and metatarsalgia can result.
This was part of an article titled Ageing Feet, under a sub-heading How can I protect my feet from the effects of ageing?
My questions are:
Patient.info makes quite strong claims about the reliability of its information, eg:
Our information reflects reliable research evidence, recognised UK and European medical guidelines and best clinical practice.
Our health information leaflets are certified to meet The Information Standard; NHS England’s ‘quality mark’ for health and care information. We accept and adhere to its aims to improve the quality of health information provided to the public.
Like all other organisations who have achieved The Information Standard, we undergo rigorous assessment to check that the information we provide is clear, accurate, balanced and up-to-date.
The full article can be found here: https://patient.info/senior-health/ageing-feet
Avoid walking barefoot, even indoors. By the time we reach 65 the fatty protective foot pads have worn thinner through long use. Walking barefoot is no longer recommended as it tends to speed up this process. If the feet are given no extra cushioning - for example, shoes - to make up for what they have lost then painful feet, calluses and metatarsalgia can result.
This was part of an article titled Ageing Feet, under a sub-heading How can I protect my feet from the effects of ageing?
My questions are:
- Is this advice representative of current medical consensus?
- What evidence is there to either support or refute the suggestion that walking barefoot is harmful for older people?
- Where the article says "Walking barefoot is no longer recommended", does this mean it used to be recommended, but isn't anymore, or does it mean it's recommended for younger people, but not for over-sixty-fives?
Patient.info makes quite strong claims about the reliability of its information, eg:
Our information reflects reliable research evidence, recognised UK and European medical guidelines and best clinical practice.
Our health information leaflets are certified to meet The Information Standard; NHS England’s ‘quality mark’ for health and care information. We accept and adhere to its aims to improve the quality of health information provided to the public.
Like all other organisations who have achieved The Information Standard, we undergo rigorous assessment to check that the information we provide is clear, accurate, balanced and up-to-date.
The full article can be found here: https://patient.info/senior-health/ageing-feet
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