Routine Diabetic Foot Care Services

What You Need To Know

How routine preventive foot care protects patients living with diabetes.

Preventive Foot Care for Diabetes

If you are newly diagnosed with diabetes and need to determine your risk for getting into trouble with your feet, if you suffer from numbness and need your feet checked on a regular basis, or if you are dealing with an ulcer that has been hard to heal, please contact our specialists at Foot Care Center. We offer comprehensive foot assessments to determine your individualized risk level.

Many patients with diabetes see a podiatrist on a regular basis for examination and local care. Podiatrists view this visit as diabetic surveillance, a chance to intervene early in the process. While debriding the nails and calluses, your podiatrist can make sure there are no developing issues, such as a wound, and remind you how to best care for your feet. Given their biomechanical expertise, podiatrists understand how to offload calloused, pre-ulcerative areas and help prevent ulcers from starting.

Not all patients with diabetes are at the same risk. Some patients we will want to see every three to four months for what is frequently called preventative diabetic foot care, while others can go a year between evaluations. It is important to know where you stand.

About 15 percent of all people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer at some point in their lives. Don’t ignore any pain, swelling, numbness, or discomfort. Schedule a visit so we can assess your risk and build a preventive care plan that fits your needs.

Diabetic Shoes and Ongoing Support

For patients who are at heightened risk, having a foot callus trimmed down on a regular basis (every two to three months) is an essential component to staying out of trouble and ulcer free. It is also important that higher risk patients get into protective and specialty footwear that helps offload pressure and protect vulnerable areas of the foot.

At Foot Care Center, we are able to get our patients into the shoes they need and fit them for foot orthoses and custom braces right in the office, usually in just two quick visits. There are no third and fourth trips needed to other specialists for this type of service.

Ordering diabetic shoes involves a few simple steps. First, you make an appointment to see if you qualify. If you do, your podiatrist will measure you for shoes and scan your feet to make three pairs of custom inserts. Next, our office contacts your primary care physician, who needs to have seen and managed your diabetes within the last six months. Once we receive that documentation, we order the shoes and fit them to your feet at your next appointment.

Studies have shown that prescription therapeutic shoes prevent foot ulcers compared with nonprescription shoes, and that prescription shoes work better when patients wear them for a majority of their steps during the day. Practicing good foot care can put the brakes on foot ulcers before they start, and our team is here to guide you through every step of that process.