Diabetes foot assessments are performed to determine an individual’s risk level for complications and to detect any issues that could put a diabetic at risk. Diabetes is a serious and complex condition that affects more than 1.2 million Adult Australians. Undiagnosed Diabetes and poorly managed blood sugar levels can have ill effects on the whole body and the feet and legs often suffer. I am expertly trained and highly experienced in providing foot care for patients diagnosed with diabetes.

How does diabetes affect your feet?

Diabetes can affect your feet and legs in 2 main ways:

Damaging the foot and leg nerves (Peripheral Neuropathy)

Damage to the nerves of the feet and legs can result in numbness, a loss of protective sensation, tingling, burning and significant pain. It can also be completely painless. Damage to the nerves can also impact on your body’s ability to use your muscles and can damage balance and co-ordination. This loss of feeling can result in some people being unaware of damage or injury to the skin and leads to the development of wounds and ulceration without them noticing.

Damaging the foot and leg blood flow (Peripheral Vascular Disease)

Narrowing of the blood vessels results in a reduction in the amount of blood flow that is brought down to your feet and legs. This can limit your body’s ability to heal properly and in a timely fashion and can result in infection and wounds that risk becoming chronic ulcerations.

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Foot wounds and ulcerations are an incredibly serious issue that can very easily result in hospitalisation and sometimes amputation. There are more than 4,400 amputations every year that result from diabetic foot wounds that are neglected and mismanaged in Australia.

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Simple foot problems like these below can put your feet at risk of complications such as ulceration and amputation.

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• Blisters

• Tinea

• Corns

• Callus

• Cracked Heels

• Bunions

• Ingrown Toenails

• Flat Feet

• High Foot Arches

 

The good news is that all these complications can be avoided with proper education, diabetes care and regular foot care.