Arthritis is a common disease that can affect the joints, skin and various internal organs of the body. Often thought to be a disease only for the elderly, the majority of 4.5 million Canadians currently living with arthritis are under the age of 65 years old.
When arthritis affects the feet, a consultation with a Canadian Certified Pedorthist – C. Ped (C) - can be helpful. A Canadian Certified Pedorthist can help patients retain and enhance mobility. This can be achieved through proper footcare, suitable footwear selections and/or custom-made foot orthotics, if necessary. These items are used to support and align the joints of the foot and can help to ease the pain caused by arthritis.
To alleviate the pain caused by arthritis, Canadian Certified Pedorthists recommend selecting footwear featuring:
- Rigid rocker soles (the curve at the toe area of a shoe) to decrease stress on the ball of the foot and provide a more efficient push-off
- Soft leather uppers or materials that will mold around deformities or sensitive areas
- Wide, deep, square toe-boxes with no seams over hammer toes or other sensitive areas to avoid pressure on painful joints
- Velcro closures or elastic laces to eliminate the need to lace up a shoe, if fine dexterity in the fingers is difficult
- Heels should be lower than 1" or 2.5 cm - avoidance of high heels is recommended
