Foot Care For Diabetics
A regular self-exam will show indications for further follow-up:
1. Balance. A good test for balance involves standing on one foot, with your arms out to the side and your eyes closed. If you are less than 30 years old, you should be able to balance for 15 seconds, 30-40 years old for 12 seconds, 40-50 years old for 10 seconds and over 50 years old for seven seconds. This can be improved with exercises.
2. Circulation. Look at the color of your toes. Are they red, pink, purple or blue? Press down on the nail of your big toe until the color blanches. Now let go and allow the blood flow to return to your toe. The return of normal color should take 2-5 seconds in a person with average circulation.
At Your 2 Feet you can choose from the Jobst styles of support stockings. Support stockings are to be put on first thing in the morning so the compression will help pump the circulation back to your heart all day long. If you have haven't tried Jobst support hose yet, they are different than other brands of support hose.
3. Flexibility. How flexible are your toes? Try to pick up a marble or a small dish towel. To test your ankle flexibility, hang your heel off of a stair. Now let the heel go below the level of the stair. If this causes pain, stop the test. If your heel goes below the level of the stair without causing strain in your calf, that is a goof sign. If there is some strain, this can be improved with flexibility exercises.
4.Pain. There should be no pain in the average foot.
5. Sensation. Take a pencil eraser and lightly run it on the top, bottom and both sides of your feet. The sensation should feel equal in all quadrants. It may tickle on the bottom of the feet. That is normal. The last paragraph outlines how Dr. Kerch works with Your 2 Feet in fitting you with the proper diabetic footwear.
6. Skin. Check your skin for calluses, blisters or areas of irritation. Stand next to your shoes. Are they shaped like your feet or are they causing areas of constriction that may result in calluses, blisters or irritation? Put your hand inside your shoe. Are there seams, tacks or rough places in the shoe that correspond to the areas of irritation, calluses or blisters on your feet?
The following items may result in burns and you should NOT be using:
A. Hot tap water or super-heated water from the "Insta hot" faucet used on towels which are wrapped in additional layers of towels, chucks, or blankets.
B. Towels, rice packs or anything else heated in the microwave that is intended for food (temperature limit is not controlled; it’s also a fire risk).
C. A disposable latex glove filled with hot tap water. Even if mixed with cold tap water, the glove can burst and spill on the patient causing a burn.
7. If you have diabetes, keep educated about proper foot care and check your feet daily.
You should have an annual foot examination by a podiatrist or other health care professional.
Conveniently Dr. Kerch, ABPS certified and FACFS member is accepting new patients. Due to her experience treating diabetic complications over the years, she is very invested in early diagnoses, prevention and treatment. Beginning with conservative care, she can begin the process of enrolling you in the Medicare Shoe Reimbursement Program. Since Dr. Kerch's Clinic is located behind the Your 2 Feet Pain Relief Shoe and Product Store (A-Z), you will have easy access to a vast array of qualified shoes to choose from.
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