Diabetic Foot Treatment [Podiatrist or Foot Doctor Diabetic Foot Care]

The keys to diabetic foot management:

Improve your diabetes as much as possible: work with your primary care doctor in your podiatrist to keep a close eye on your blood sugar and keep it in the target range. If your blood sugar is well-controlled, it’s almost like you don’t even have diabetes!

Sometimes we have a foot problem. It doesn’t make sense to go on walks or runs. But things like water aerobics and riding a stationary bike make a lot of sense for you. These types of exercise can even burn more calories than simply going for a walk which barely burns any calories at all. Be as healthy as possible: talk to your podiatrist and your primary care doctor about how to exercise.

Look into your insurance and Medicare plan: most versions of Medicare plans do cover special diabetic shoes. You have to qualify for some criteria, but your podiatrist can work with you in making these available.

Wash your feet daily: be careful to look between your toes. I can build up a lot of crust and dry skin here. This is a common site for infection to develop.

Keep your skin moisturized: this is especially important after taking a bath and going to bed at night. The biggest mistake you can make is buying something expensive. Don’t do that. Even something like petroleum jelly or Vaseline can be a couple of dollars for a gigantic tub. Applying this daily will solve the vast majority of your skin issues.

Maintain your toenails and calluses: this is something your podiatrist can do for you. This is not cosmetic! This is the biggest mistake people make. There have been thousands of times where I see the patient in the hospital, and they said they were not ready or felt guilty getting their nails checked. Don’t let this happen to you, don’t let yourself have a large infection because you are embarrassed or are worried about some coverage issue. If you have a medical problem, any insurance would be glad to have you get it taken care of outside the hospital!

Wear good shoes and socks: Don’t fall for the “peripheral neuropathy” trap where people think that purple neuropathy is causing your foot pain. Peripheral neuropathy generally makes your foot numb, but then your foot throbs at night because you did damage to it without feeling. Don’t fall for the pharmaceutical marketing gimmicks where you feel you need some nerve-numbing medication. This is not a disease that you can’t do anything about. You can do something about your foot pain and your numbness. Almost every patient you have that wears good shoes, good inserts, and good socks has much less pain at night if not completely resolved than nighttime pain.

Watch out for hot and cold: with diabetes, your foot can have a harder time telling hot from the cold. This means if you stepped on something really cold or something hot, you could be doing damage to your foot. Just be aware, especially when it’s icy outside, that your floor may be called, and this is why your toes are turning purple or red. Also, when you’re filling up a tub, make sure that the water is not too hot. Use the elbow rule. If you can touch it with your elbow, that is the true temperature.

See your podiatrist today: it has been proven repeatedly that a podiatrist is the foot specialist that is best suited to look after your feet. If you have diabetes, it has been proven that the cost savings and the overall improvements are amazing with even one to two trips. So don’t keep holding off and end up in the hospital. It’s covered by insurance. What have you got to lose except for a few moments of your time?

Don’t wait until we see you in the hospital:

• This is not a cosmetic problem. This is something that any reasonable insurance will cover!
• The biggest mistake we see is patients feel guilty about seeking foot care because they think it’s a cosmetic effect, and they end up in the hospital with a traumatic life-altering infection.

Is Diabetic Foot Management a Covered Benefit?

• Absolutely, this is a covered benefit by almost every single insurance.
• This is proven to help reduce hospitalization and infections.
• Most insurances can cover diabetic shoes and inserts to prevent further infection and deformity.

Diabetic Foot Management by a Podiatrist:

• A podiatrist is a physician who has performed a minimum of 4 years undergraduate degree, 4 years of medical training, 3 years of surgical and medical hospital-based residency training, possibly a fellowship training period, and is board certified in foot & ankle surgery!
• We have extensive training in diabetes and diabetic management.
• We are extremely proud of the training our physicians have accomplished.

What is Diabetic Foot Care?

• Diabetes can damage nerves in your feet and cause “peripheral neuropathy,” a condition that causes numbness, pain, or loss of sensitivity in your extremities. Diabetes can also affect your body’s ability to heal properly from cuts or blisters because of changes in blood flow to your feet.
• Initial risk stratification and regular checkups with your podiatrist will protect your feet and keep them healthy.
• If you notice any problems such as redness, blisters, cracks, or breaks in your skin, keep the area clean and schedule an appointment. Stop these problems before they get worse!

• An infection causes fungal toenails underneath the surface of the nail.
• The fungus can turn the nail yellow or brown in color while making it thicker. Debris can also collect beneath the nail plate and may make it painful to walk or run. (Fungal toenails may or may not be painful while they are still an active infection).
• We can perform a test to identify the type(s) of infection and determine the best treatment option for your case.
• Treatments may include prescription topical medication, prescription oral medication, and trimming of the toenails.
• It is important to seek treatment for this condition to avoid complications from an infection and spread the fungus to other nails on your hands or feet.

Diabetic Shoes:

• Most major insurances cover diabetic shoes and inserts.
• See a podiatrist today to see if you are eligible.
• This is an essential benefit that can decrease your chances of ulcer formation and infection.