Extra pounds add stress to feet and ankles

People with foot and ankle problems tend to weigh more than people who don't, suggesting that the extra weight may be bad for the feet, according to survey findings released last week.

Among more than 6,000 people who responded to the survey, those who said they had foot and ankle pain, had undergone foot surgery, or consulted a doctor about Foot pain, tended to weigh more than people who did not report similar problems.

In addition, more than 4 out of 10 people with foot and ankle problems said they believed they had gained weight before the problems started.

"If you gain weight, your feet and your ankles are going to pay the price," said study author Dr. Stuart Miller, member of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Public Education Committee.

Miller noted that the most common foot and ankle problems among overweight people included arthritis in the ankle, and problems in weight-bearing joints and tendons, such as the ankle and joint between the ankle and heel.

People carrying around extra pounds also reported more posterior tibial tendonitis, or pain in the tendon that runs along the inside of the ankle and the foot, Miller added.

He and his colleagues did not examine if losing weight helps relieve these problems, but in Miller's experience this is the case. "If (patients) lose weight, they put less strain on their feet and ankles and their pain gets better," he noted.

The researchers presented their findings last week at the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Annual Summer Meeting in Boston.

As part of the study, Miller and his colleagues reviewed responses from 6,157 people, who completed an online survey about foot and ankle pain, and body weight.

People who responded to the survey were an average of 35 years old, and had an average body mass index (BMI) of 28, which classified them as overweight.

In an interview, Miller said that women were also more likely to see a doctor because of Foot pain, change shoes based on their doctor's advice, and have foot or ankle surgery. Men were more likely to wear orthotic inserts and report that their pain was caused by a specific injury.