Aging question for the 70 year olds

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Footloose

Trad climber

Lake Tahoe

Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 3, 2015 - 07:17am PT

Do the balls of your feet hurt when you get up on your toes?

Looking back over your earlier climbing years, was the development of pain in the balls of your feet part and parcel of the aging process in your mid-50s approaching 60; and a developing performance-limiting component in your future climbing activities?

I have pain in both feet - the balls of the feet - that's not really going away. I'm 55 and I think I'm changing my mind. I'm beginning to think these symptoms might have less to do with injury, particularly from overuse, and more to do with aging.

Any thoughts most welcome.

I am hoping it's just overuse. (Running. Racquetball. Climbing.)

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Aug 3, 2015 - 07:28am PT

Everyone ages differently. I have never had pain in the balls of my feet when standing on my toes. I have also been very lucky in never having joint pain.
I would say that tha ageing issue I notice most is markedly increased recovery time after a big day. My advice to you as a 55 year old would be to keep being CONSISTENT in getting exercise and eat well. Do that and then accept the outcome for what it is and adjust accordingly but never give up.
This week I'm going to alternate 4 to 5 hour fast hikes at altitude with limestone sport climbing. Both activities are at my doorstep......hiking today.

the czar

climber

meyers, ca.

Aug 3, 2015 - 08:02am PT

When this happens in ski boots, we put a smallbump on/under the insole, right behind middleish toesies. Better yet come in to ltd and we'll take a look, or your foot doc, good luck man.

couchmaster

climber

Aug 3, 2015 - 08:28am PT

This link might (or might not) apply to your issue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis I'm not 70 yet but older than you. I screwed my feet up doing freesolo laps on a local climb a few years back. Not due to the climbing but to running down the trail then around to the base of the climb between laps in my crappy assed flatsoled gym-climbing shoes. (ie, Red Chilis). The pain was slightly back from where you show, but the diagnosis was plantars fasciitis. As the link notes, you can get it at various spots all over the bottoms of the feet. (heel is common for runners, much more forward is common for climbers)

They recommended good foot support, stretching before getting out of bed, watching diet, and they had a litany of exercises that I stuck too. (I remember the rolling the tennis ball (which could be changed out to a frozen water bottle) with my foot while watching TV). It was @ 4-6 months of that.

The moral of the story for me was to not hike in my climbing shoes. Never bothered me in Fires. But I was younger/stronger and the old Fire's had better support. You don't say what you've done dietwise, but I suspect as you didn't mention it in the post the correct answer to that is: nothing. My personal opinion is don't discount the role that diet has in it, getting rid of inflammatory foods like all sugars and white flour and eating healthy, should one of the first things you consider, followed by excellent supportive shoes. If you have a pair of shoes you love like for work, add insoles to them.

http://www.superfeet.com/en-us/insoles-and-sandals