Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetic foot care is one of the most important things you can do for your diabetes. The leading cause of amputations in this country is diabetes. It is 100% preventable.

Diabetics have reduced circulation. That means that routine injuries to the skin can become infected, gangrenous and eventually amputated! By following some simple steps you can prevent this. As a physician in NYC we studied 500 patients with severe insulin dependent diabetes. Only two of those 500 patients whom we treated wound up with an amputation. And one of those two had a complicating auto accident with significant trauma.

Preventitive Steps

The first step is substituting your eyes for your lack of sensation in your feet. That means look every day to see if you have a small cut or abrasion developing. And if you do, treat it like a medical emergency because it is. That means see a doctor and get antibiotics etc.

Secondly, protect your skin. That means wear white sox and shoes everyday without fail.  Sox protect your skin. If you do have an injury, you will see the discharge seep through the white sox. Colored sox have dyes that can cause infections. Shoes protect your feet as well. If you drop something on your foot, your shoe and sox are additional layers of protection.

Third, and most important, lubricate your skin daily. Soft lubricated skin is less likely to break open if something happens. Dry flaking skin will break open more easily. Remember, an open wound can lead to infection and amputation. You do not need anything fancy. Anything with Lubriderm in it works well.

Finally, you must obtain custom fit orthotics with double depth shoes. Orthotics help retain the normal architecture of your foot. Diabetes leads to weakness and breakdown of your arch support. That leads to pain and deformity. Diabetes is the only diagnosis that Medicare will actually pay for orthotics and shoes. That just proves how important this is. Take advantage of your insurance.

We have lots of other ideas and treatments to help you manage your diabetes. Let us help you.