Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic Foot Care & Diabetic Neuropathy
Monday, September 7th, 2009Diabetic foot care encompasses steps that are aimed at preventing infection and relieving the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.
What is Diabetic Neuropathy?
A neuropathy is a disorder that affects the nervous system. A diabetic neuropathy can affect nearly any part of the body, but the feet are typically affected first.
Neuropathies do not affect the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal column, but the peripheral nerves which transmit signals to the brain, via the spinal column. In diabetic neuropathy, the nerves are not functioning properly. So, the signals that are transmitted to the brain are abnormal.
What are the Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy?
The symptoms of diabetic neuropathy vary, depending on which nerves or which area of the body are affected. Since we are focusing here on diabetic foot care, the symptoms may include:
- Decreased sensitivity to pain
- Hypersensitivity to pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Shooting, burning or electric pains
- Cold feet/inability to judge temperatures
- Foot ulcers
- Infections
- Muscle and bone deformities (hammertoes or Charcot foot)
It is important to recognize the symptoms and spend extra time inspecting the feet, checking for injury or infection on a daily basis. Infections can go unnoticed leading to ulceration and gangrene. In some cases, partial or total amputation is required to prevent blood poisoning.
What Causes Diabetic Neuropathy?
High glucose or blood sugar levels over a long period of time cause damage to the blood vessels that supply the nerve endings, throughout the body. Since, the blood vessels and the nerves in the hands and feet are some of the smallest; those are the areas of the body that are affected first.
The nerves and the blood vessels depend on each other. The nerves control dilation and constriction of the blood vessels. In order to function properly, the nerves need adequate blood flow. If blood flow is reduced, the nerves may cause constriction of the blood vessels, which further reduces the blood flow. Eventually, the nerves can simply die, due to lack of oxygen and nourishment from the blood. When the nerves die, the blood supply to the toes and other extremities is reduced even further.
So, the condition may become progressively worse, even when blood sugar levels are kept under control with medication and proper diet. Doctors theorize that in type II or adult-onset diabetes, the earliest damage may occur before a person even realizes that they have diabetes.
How Is Diabetic Neuropathy Treated?
Prescription drugs, such as anti-depressants or anticonvulsants may be prescribed, but there are no treatments, currently, that will reverse neuropathies. Tight blood glucose control is essential to help prevent the conditioning from progressing rapidly. Effective diabetic foot care helps to relieve the pain and prevent the most serious complications.
What Are the Essential Steps for Diabetic Foot Care?
1. Inspect your feet daily. Use a mirror if necessary to see the bottoms of your feet or the area between your toes.
2. Any sores or blisters should be treated with an antibacterial ointment and covered with a bandage or treated by a physician. Do not attempt to remove corns, calluses or ingrown toenails at home. See a podiatrist in the case of swelling, increased redness, pain or signs of infection.
3. Use a good moisturizer or lotion on heels and feet, but not between the toes. The area between the toes is prone to dampness, which creates an environment for fungal infections. There are a number of different moisturizers to choose from. Each has different benefits, depending on the ingredients. Lotions recommended by podiatrists include:
- Healthifeet Foot Cream—contains the amino acid L-arginine which may help improve circulation and “warm up” cold feet.
- Total Foot Recovery Cream with Tea Tree Oil—Tea tree oil has natural antibacterial activity, which may help prevent infections, one of the goals of diabetic foot care.
4. Never go barefoot. A splinter or tiny scrape can lead to a serious infection, because of reduced sensation and because of reduced blood flow.
5. Wash your feet daily with warm (not hot) soapy water. Do not use a heating pad or hot water bottle to warm cold feet, a burn could occur.
6. Trim your toenails carefully and cut them straight across the top, to avoid an ingrown nail.
5. Wear seamless socks that do not restrict circulation. Choose orthopedic or therapeutic footwear designed specifically for diabetic foot care.
There are a number of different orthopedic shoe styles to choose from, as well as seamless socks designed specifically for diabetic feet. They will not restrict circulation, but resist sagging and bunching.
Another good alternative for diabetic neuropathy and diabetic foot care, in general, is the Arch Craft customized insole, which can be worn with your own shoes. They cradle your feet in comfort, eliminating pressure points and pain, without restricting circulation.
Custom Orthotics
Sunday, September 6th, 2009What Are Custom Orthotics?
Orthotics is actually the medical field relating to the design, development, manufacturer or fitting of devices designed to provide additional support or correct imbalances in the muscles or bones of the body. But, the term “orthotics” is also used to refer to the devices created by those professionals.
Custom orthotics are devices that are sized to fit a specific person. When it comes to the feet and lower body, appliances that fall under the heading of custom orthotics include shoes, braces and insoles of various types.
What Are Custom Orthotics Used For?
Insoles may be used to:
- Provide additional support to the arches of the feet
- Act as shock absorbers during sports or other activities
- Reduce friction and improve the comfort of hiking boots
- Provide additional warmth in cold weather
- Help prevent or control pronation
- Provide additional support for the heels
- Correct leg-length discrepancies
- Relieve pain in specific areas of the foot
Braces may be used to provide additional support for the knee or ankle. In some cases, the braces are therapeutic; used to provide compression or cold therapy. Special braces for the toes are used to separate and straighten.
Therapeutic or orthopedic shoes may be used as an alternative to insoles. They can provide many of the same benefits.
Who Could Benefit from Custom Orthotics?
Many people can and do benefit from custom orthotics. Practically anyone could benefit from an insole, but there are specific conditions that can be relieved with an orthotic device.
- Flat feet or fallen arches—use insoles with additional arch support or an arch brace. Pro Arch orthotics, for example, are shoe inserts made from polypropylene, which flexes and springs with every step.
- Knock kneed, bow-legged, pronation, suppination—in these conditions the heels angle inward or outward, causing pain in the feet, knees and hips. Foot Smart Corrective Heel Cups provide relief by correcting the misalignment. Anti-pronation insoles are another option.
- Hammertoes, overlapping, crooked or misshapen toes—toe trainers, straighteners or separators can be used to correct the problem and relieve the pain.
- Diabetics and others with sensitive feet—Arch Crafters custom-fit insoles relieve pain in the heels, knees and back by eliminating pressure points on the bottom of the feet. A foam box is used to create a cast of your feet at home, so there is no need to see a podiatrist.
- Runner’s knee—knee braces can be used to provide added support during sports and other activities, in order to prevent and relieve knee pain.
Custom orthotics may also be beneficial for arch, ball of foot, heel, ankle, knee, hip or back pain. Healthy pain-free feet provide the right foundation for a healthy pain-free lower body.