Putting your Best Foot Forward: Managing your Feet with Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which an individual has a high blood sugar level as a result of the body either not producing enough insulin or because certain body cells do not properly respond to the insulin that is produced. There are several types of diabetes – Type 1 (failure of the body to produce insulin), Type 2 (insulin resistance), and gestational diabetes (having a high blood glucose level consistently during pregnancy). The classical symptoms of diabetes are polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (frequent thirst), and polyphagia (increased hunger).

The reason why diabetes factors in so greatly to the field of podiatry is that there can be many complications that take a toll on the feet. In general, foot problems tend to happen when there is nerve damage, called neuropathy, which results in a loss of feeling in your feet. Neuropathy basically means that your ability to feel pain, heat, or cold lessens. This can be a potentially dangerous issue, because you might not be able to feel an injury to your foot, which could lead to eventual break down of the foot and infection. In addition, neuropathy over time can lead to foot deformity and changes in the structure of your feet.

Another factor that can become affected due to diabetes is the skin of the feet. Over time, your feet may start to dry out, as well as peel and crack. In addition, individuals with diabetes may notice that calluses on their feet are building up at a much faster rate over time. This is due to the increased areas of pressure under the foot. It’s essential to keep an eye on these calluses, keep them trimmed (best by a podiatric professional), and prevent them from opening up to ulcers.

A final – and not so happy – foot complication of diabetes is foot ulcers. Ulcers tend to occur on the underside of the foot – again, where pressures tend to build up. It’s essential that your podiatrist see any developing ulcers that you notice as soon as possible. It’s important to stay off of any ulcer sites as much as possible to encourage healing. As a main component to treatment, good diabetes control is key! Make sure to keep blood sugar levels where they need to be.

If you are diabetic and need to find a podiatric health care provider for your foot care needs, please contact Affiliated Podiatrists, Inc. in Mentor, Ohio.

Pop! Goes the Tendon: Achilles Tendon Ruptures

The Achilles tendon, located at the back of the ankle, connects the calf muscles to heel bone (calcaneus). This tendon, the largest in the body, is what allows you to stand on your toes to reach that can off the top shelf of your cabinet. When you completely tear through the tendon this is called an Achilles tendon rupture.

Some of the things that might predispose a person to an Achilles tendon rupture are varied. Several scenarios can be painted. One might be a teenage athlete who has started an antibiotic for his bronchitis (some antibiotics combined with athletic activity can put individuals at risk for tendon rupture). Another example might be a middle-aged businessman who engages in a pickup game of basketball on the weekends (the “weekend warrior”). A third might be a non-athletic individual who just happens to fall from a significant height. As you can see, Achilles tendon ruptures can affect individuals from all walks of life.

Some symptoms of an Achilles tendon rupture include a severe pain at the back of the ankle, some may report hearing a loud pop, swelling and weakness, an inability to stand on tiptoe, or a gap seen in the tendon about 2 inches above the heel bone. With any of these types of symptoms, especially with correlation to physical activity, it is important to seek medical intervention promptly. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome.

Treatment for Achilles tendon rupture revolves around the main goal of restoring normal tension and length to the tendon so that you might be able to function to the same level of activity pre-injury. Unlike treatment modalities for other types of injuries, early movement (as well as protection) is important when treating Achilles tendon ruptures. Early treatment usually includes casting for 6 weeks with regular intervals of cast removal/replacement so that the tendon may be stretched (early movement). If surgery is necessary, this will be discussed with your podiatric physician depending on your level of injury and healing time. Once treatment has taken place, prevention for the future is key! Stretching exercises are one such way to do this. While an Achilles tendon rupture can definitely change one’s life, it doesn’t have to be life altering! If you happen to sustain this injury, please call our office in Mentor, OH for an appointment, and we will be happy to assist!