Diabetic Foot Care management

• Whether you have just been diagnosed with Diabetes or have been living with Diabetes for a number of years, it is extremely important and critical to establish the proper care and maintenance of your feet and footwear. 
• Any changes in appearance or any loss of feeling in your feet can lead to potentially greater problems in the future.
• Patient with diabetes and particularly diabetic neuropathy need to pay special attention for foot care management.
• A major complication that may cause is to lose feeling in your feet or hands. This means you won't know right away if you hurt yourself. The problem affects about 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes. Foot problems are a big risk. All people with diabetes should monitor their feet. If you don't, the consequences can be severe, including amputation.
• At Inspire health care- Prosthetics, orthotics & cosmetic restoration clinic,we are expert in the assessment, design, manufacture, fit and modification of orthotic insole and footwear for the purposes of alleviating painful or debilitating conditions and providing assistance for abnormalities or limited actions of the lower limb.

Foot problems caused by diabetes

Diabetic neuropathy (loss of normal nerve function) and peripheral vascular disease (loss of normal circulation) are two conditions, that can lead to: 

• Diabetic foot ulcers: Wounds that do not heal or become infected
• Infections: Skin infections (cellulitis), bone infections (osteomyelitis) and pus collections (abscesses)
• Gangrene: Dead tissue resulting from complete loss of circulation
• Charcot arthropathy: fractures and dislocations that may result in severe deformities
• Amputation: Toe amputation, partial foot amputation, chopart amputation, symes amputation,transtibial amputation, transfemoral amputation etc…

We are providing orthotic devices and footwear to assist in:

• Accommodation, support and stabilization of foot deformities
• Evenly distribute the weight bearing stresses over the entire plantar surface of the foot.
• Reduce the stress & strain on the ankle, knee, hip & spine indirectly.        
• Alleviate the pain from painful & sensitive areas of the sole of the foot.
• Support the foot arches.
• Provide relief for tender areas. i.e. corn, fissures
• Re-alignment of anatomical structures
• Redistribution of external and internal forces
• Improvement of balance
• Control of biomechanical function
• Prevent painful pressure points, blisters, sores and decreases chances of amputation.

A custom orthotic is a device designed to align the foot and ankle into the most anatomically efficient position. They look like insoles, but are biomechanical medical appliances that are custom made to correct your specific foot imbalance. Custom orthotics works on your feet much like glasses work on your eyes - they reduce stress and strain on your body by bringing your feet back into proper alignment. The plastic body of the custom orthotic helps to re-align the foot by redirecting and reducing certain motion that takes place during the gait cycle. Custom orthotics fit into your shoes as comfortably as an insole - and they have the advantage of having been made from precise imprints of your feet.

Treatment and Prevention

Footwear and orthotics play an important role in diabetic foot care.

Orthotics designed with Plastazote foam, the #1 material for protecting the insensitive diabetic foot, is usually recommended. Plastazote is a material designed to accommodate pressure "hot spots" by conforming to heat and pressure. By customizing to the foot, Plastazote provides the comfort and protection needed in diabetic foot care. 

Specialized Diabetic footwear provides the following protective benefits:

• High, wide toe box (high and wide space in the toe area)
• Removable insoles for fitting flexibility and the option to insert orthotics if necessary.
• Rocker Soles designed to reduce pressure in the areas of the foot most susceptible to pain, most notably the ball-of-the-foot.
• Firm Heel Counters for support and stability.

@ Inspire health care - Hi-tech artificial limb centre (Prosthetics, orthotics & cosmetic restoration clinic) we are expert in providing best quality in-depth shoe, extra depth shoe, rocker bottom shoe, heel wedge, ortho wedge, walker boot, air cast pneumatic walker and also providing customized Ankle foot orthosis, patella tendon weight bearing ankle foot orthosis for severe Charcot foot/ non healing ulcers.

How to Care for Your Diabetic Feet

• Don’t smoke. It decreases the blood supply to your feet.
• Never walk barefoot, neither indoors nor out door.
• Examine your feet daily for redness, warmth, blisters, ulcers, cuts and nail problems. 
• Wash your feet every day with mild soap and warm water.
• Examine your shoes for protruding nails and rough spots inside before putting them on. Look and feel.
• Never wear sandals or flip flops.
• Lubricate your entire foot if your skin is dry 
• Do not soak your feet. Skin can break down and won't heal well.
• Keep feet away from heat sources (heating pads, hot water bottles, electric blankets, radiator and fireplaces). You can burn your feet without knowing it    
• Do not wear stockings or socks with tight elastic backs. Always wear cotton socks with your shoes.