Our Experienced TX Podiatrists Discuss Why You Should See a Foot Doctor During Menopause
When people talk about menopause, they often mention hot flashes, night sweats, or hormonal changes. It’s less common to hear about how menopause changes a woman’s feet. The skilled and compassionate Central Texas foot doctors at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists can help women understand how this big life change often affects the feet and the discomfort of foot issues that commonly plague women in menopause. Here, our podiatrists discuss why and how menopause can impact female feet in such a significant way. 
Common Foot Issues Women Face in Menopause
During menopause, a woman’s body produces less estrogen, which impacts her entire body, including the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin of her feet. Less estrogen can cause women to slowly put on weight, at a rate of a couple of pounds per year throughout their fifties and sixties; to produce less collagen, which makes it harder to heal from injuries; and to lose bone density. Estrogen also has anti-inflammatory properties. In its absence, patients may experience increased inflammation. These can all create or contribute to existing painful foot and ankle problems, including the following:
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is a thick, fibrous band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone to the toes. It absorbs the impact your foot takes when walking, running and jumping. The weight that many women gain during menopause can put a lot of stress on the arches of their feet and the plantar fascia. Their arches can become weak and flatten or collapse. The fascia can become inflamed and tear.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Estrogen helps to increase the internal size of blood vessels, which allows for better blood flow. In menopause, when estrogen levels fall, circulation can become worse in the feet, which can increase the risk of PAD, a leading cause of foot ulcers and a contributing factor in amputations.
Bunions
Bunions are red, swollen knobs at the base of the big toe. These can be genetic or the result of trauma or arthritis and are often aggravated by years of wearing pointy, narrow shoes. Bunions can reduce the range of motion in the toe and be quite painful.
Fractures and Stress Fractures
The decrease in estrogen during menopause can make bones more brittle. When this is paired with even slight weight gain, the bones of the feet are under more stress and become prone to small cracks and full breaks.
Hallux Rigidus
If your big toe has been getting more and more rigid over time, and your symptoms worsen when it is damp and cold, you might be experiencing hallux rigidus. This may be the result of fallen arches, which can also cause osteoarthritis.
Dry Skin and Calluses
Menopause makes it more difficult for the female body to retain moisture. This includes moisture in the skin. Dry skin on the feet tends to become itchy, cracked, and callused. Cracks, which often form on the heel, can bleed and allow in bacteria and fungus, leading to infection. Dry skin also increases the risk of developing foot ulcers and calluses. All of these things can make it more painful and difficult to walk. You can help prevent these issues by doing the following:
- Drinking lots of water
- Avoiding saunas and steam baths
- Avoiding alcohol and caffeine
- Choosing unscented, mild, moisturizing soaps
- Applying therapeutic oils, creams, and ointments to moisturize the skin
- Keeping your hands away from dry skin so you aren’t tempted to rub or scratch
- Applying cold compresses or ice packs to help with itching
- Managing your other health conditions that could be contributing to dry skin
- Using a humidifier in your home whenever you are running your heater
- Drying your feet any time you get them wet
How Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists Help Patients During Menopause
Your feet are the foundation for the rest of your body, so it’s important to address any foot problems right away, preferably before you begin to have other issues.
Our award-winning, nationally recognized Central Texas podiatrists are empathetic to the challenges women can experience during menopause. We can quickly and accurately diagnose and treat issues you’re facing using a combination of traditional and state-of-the-art equipment and techniques. We recognize that each patient is an individual, which is why we offer a robust array of options, including the following:
- Providing a thorough physical examination of your feet.
- Having a conversation about your symptoms and personal and family medical history
- Providing a gait analysis. We’ll observe how you walk to understand how this might be impacting other parts of your body, like your knees, hips, and back.
- Checking the wear and tear on your shoes. The wear patterns on your shoes can tell us a lot about the mechanics of your feet, and we can also confirm if you’re wearing the best shoes to meet your needs. Shoes should include the following features:
- Good arch support
- Shock absorption and cushioning for the bottom of the foot
- Breathable materials
- Plenty of wiggle room in the toe box
- Be broken in but not worn out
- Be engineered for the activities you’re doing
- Offer adequate space for orthotics if you choose to wear them
- Answering questions you might have about how menopause has and might continue to impact your foot health
- Explaining how dietary changes may reduce inflammation
- Recommending custom orthotics to reduce pressure on certain areas of the feet
- Suggesting stretches and exercises that can strengthen your feet and relieve pain
- Demonstrating massage techniques you can use at home to alleviate foot discomfort
- Recommending footwear that is better suited to your needs
- Discussing supplements and medications that could be helpful
- Discussing Lapiplasty 3D bunion correction
- Discussing perinatal tissue and growth factor injections
- Discussing extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT)
- Discussing platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP)
- Discussing Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser therapy
- Explaining surgical options
