Diabetes puts your feet particularly at a risk for complications if you don't give them proper attention.
Diabetes is a disease associated with many serious symptoms and health problems, among them foot pain.
Those with diabetes are prone to various foot problems due to the development of painful nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy can affect your entire body but the legs and feet are the areas subject to serious health complications.
The damage to your nerves can cause loss of feeling in your feet, making it difficult to detect extreme temperatures and pain as easily, or readily, as someone who does not have diabetes.
As a result, you could sustain a serious cut or wound such as a pressure ulcer and not even notice your foot is injured until an infection begins. Diabetes can also reduce blood flow to the feet, which means injuries (including blisters and sores) heal more slowly.
Many diabetic foot problems can be prevented in some measure with improved blood sugar control and a strengthened immune system.
If you are among one of the millions of people in the United States with diabetes, it is important to visit your podiatrist for regular foot examinations in order to maintain healthy feet and a strong body. We know the foot pain treatment you need to get back up and on your feet again.
Treatment for diabetic nerve pain involves preventing further damage (because damaged nerves can't be restored). Controlling blood sugar and keeping it in a healthier range, quitting smoking and losing weight (if overweight) are all recommended ways to keep diabetes symptoms from getting worse.
Your podiatrist in charge of your treatment plan may also suggest OTC or prescription medications for pain relief, and/or physical therapy.
Learning and practicing proper diabetic foot care is also an essential part of treating foot pain caused by diabetes.
Careful inspection of your feet on a regular basis is one of the easiest and most effective measures to monitor your foot health. Noticeable abnormalities such as change in foot temperature, skin color, pain, or swelling may be warning signs for poor circulation or loss of sensation. Any of these symptoms could lead to something more serious. Patients with diabetes should also be aware of the symptoms of Charcot foot, a rare but increasingly frequent diabetic foot condition.
Take these simple, routine measures to eliminate the risk of developing major problems with your feet.
Annual or bi-annual examinations by your podiatrist are extremely important as well. Podiatrists at Advanced Foot and Ankle of Wisconsin may be able to detect complications not easily identified by the untrained eye.
Be sure to also avoid ingrown toenails, which can get infected, by keeping them trimmed neatly. If you are unable to cut your toenails safely, ask your podiatrist for professional assistance. And never attempt to pare your own bunions or corns as this can lead to infection, as well. To properly treat toe pain, please visit your podiatrist for safe and pain free removal.
Your podiatrist plays a critical role in the prevention and management of complications of the foot in diabetics. Talk to your podiatrist today to see what you can do now to prevent foot amputation due to diabetes and keep your feet safe, strong, and healthy.
Contact our experienced, professional foot doctors to see what you can do now to keep your feet safe, strong, and healthy.