Why do my feet hurt as I age? Akxay Patel, DO, Board-certified family medicine physician practicing at Franciscan Health, explains how normal aging changes the feet. Listen to learn how thinning foot padding, stiffer joints, bunions and hammertoes, thicker toenails, and weaker foot muscles can make walking painful and harder to balance. Dr. Patel also discusses how foot pain can reduce independence and when to talk with your clinician.