Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Diabetes can damage nerves and reduce the blood flow to the feet. This makes people with Diabetes extra vulnerable to foot diseases.

When you or someone you love has diabetes, proper foot care is critical, as poor foot care can lead to infections and amputations of the toes, feet, even legs.

Luckily, most serious health problems associated with diabetes can be prevented by taking proper care of your feet.

Here are some tips to keep your feet healthy:

1) Wash and dry your feet daily with warm water and mild soap. Avoid vigorous scrubbing, and pat your feet dry. Use lotion on dry areas of the foot, but avoid putting lotion between the toes.

2) Examine your feet every day and check for injuries, cracked skin, sores, ingrown toenails, or anything that is out of the usual. If you cannot fully inspect your own feet, have someone help you. This is crucial to keeping your feet healthy, as sometimes Diabetes, poor circulation, and damaged nerves reduces your ability to feel foot injuries.

3) Take care of your toenails by keeping them short and clean. If you cannot cut your own toenails safely (without cutting the sides of your toes), go to a Podiatrist (foot doctor). We would be happy to help you with your toenail care.

4) Protect your feet with socks, Diabetic shoes, custom orthotics, and avoid walking barefoot.

5) Undergo a “Fall Assessment” by one of our physicians at our office to see how stable your are on your feet. If the assessment reveals that you are at risk of falling, we will help stabilize you so that you can walk confidently and safely. We have many tools to do this, including setting you up with proper shoes, orthotics, and/or a MBB (Moore Balance Brace- clinically proven to help reduce falls 30-60%).

Here are some of the shoes we often recommend for our Diabetic patients: