Diabetic Foot Care

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Diabetic Foot Health

Diabetics are prone to poor circulation, have a weakened immune system, and impaired nerve function in their feet (peripheral neuropathy).  Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can be pain, numbness, tingling, and burning sensations in your feet. In addition, diabetic feet are more susceptible to developing sores, and non-healing wounds which may lead to ulcers. Foot wounds can also develop into serious infections which can lead to gangrene, amputations, loss of limbs, and even loss of life. Although rare,  nerve damage from diabetes can also lead to changes in the shape of the feet, such as Charcot’s foot. It is important to remember that most people with diabetes can prevent serious foot complications. Regular care at home and going to all doctor’s appointments are your best bet for preventing foot problems (and stopping small problems from becoming serious ones).

If you have diabetes, a podiatrist plays a key role as part of your diabetes healthcare team to assess your specific foot health risks and assist in developing a foot health treatment and prevention plan.  Our podiatrist, Tanner Moore, DPM specializes in diabetic foot and wound care (foot ulcers) at the Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Clinic in Wickenburg, AZ.   Dr. Moore uses the latest research and techniques to deliver exceptional diabetic foot care to residents and snow-birds alike in Wickenburg, AZ, and surrounding communities through every diabetic stage. 

Diabetic Foot Care | WCH Podiatry Services

Dr. Moore is available to treat diabetic patients full-time Monday through Friday at Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Clinic, with on-call night and weekend emergency care in Wickenburg, AZ. As the first step in maintaining your diabetic foot health, we recommend that you come in for a comprehensive diabetic foot evaluation.

To receive non-surgical and surgical podiatry care at Wickenburg Community Hospital Surgical Clinic call us at  928-668-5506 and make an appointment for a foot exam with Dr. Tanner Moore. 

Dr. Moore will use the latest technology to test and assess the circulation to your feet, determine your individual foot health risks, and develop a treatment plan specifically for you.  

Our diabetic services include extensive preventive, and surgical foot care for diabetes management:

• Comprehensive vascular and orthopedic diabetic foot examination
• On-campus diagnostics and circulation testing
• Diabetic foot health treatment plan
• Custom orthotics, diabetic shoes, and insoles
• Nerve damage (neuropathy) assessment
• Treatment for pre-ulcerative calluses
• Routine nail clipping and foot care
• Corn and callus removal
• Diabetic wound (ulcer) care
• On-campus diabetic surgery (limb salvage and amputation)

Get your feet checked at every health care visit.

If you have diabetes, here’s a way to keep standing on your own two feet: check them every day—even if they feel fine—and see your doctor if you have a cut or blister that won’t heal.

There’s a lot to manage if you have diabetes: checking your blood sugar, making healthy food, finding time to be active, taking medicines, going to doctor’s appointments. With all that, your feet might be the last thing on your mind. But daily care is one of the best ways to prevent foot complications.

About half of all people with diabetes have some kind of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). You can have nerve damage in any part of your body, but nerves in your feet and legs are most often affected. Nerve damage can cause you to lose feeling in your feet.

Feeling No Pain

Some people with nerve damage have numbness, tingling, or pain, but others have no symptoms. Nerve damage can also lower your ability to feel pain, heat, or cold.

Living without pain sounds pretty good, but it comes at a high cost. Pain is the body’s way of telling you something’s wrong so you can take care of yourself. If you don’t feel pain in your feet, you may not notice a cut, blister, sore, or other problem. Small problems can become serious if they aren’t treated early.

Preventing Nerve Damage

What’s the most important thing you can do to prevent nerve damage or stop it from getting worse? Keep your blood sugar in your target range as much as possible. Other good diabetes management habits can help, too:

• Don’t smoke. Smoking reduces blood flow to the feet. Find help by calling the national quitline at 1-800-QUITNOW or 1-800-784-8669.
• Follow a healthy eating plan, including eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and salt.
• Get physically active —10 to 20 minutes a day is better than an hour once a week.
• Take medicines as prescribed by your doctor.

Could You Have Nerve Damage?

Anyone with diabetes can develop nerve damage, but these factors increase your risk:

• Blood sugar levels that are hard to manage
• Having diabetes for a long time, especially if your blood sugar is often higher than your target levels
• Being overweight
• Being older than 40 years
• Having high blood pressure
• Having high cholesterol

Nerve damage, along with poor blood flow—another diabetes complication—puts you at risk for developing a foot ulcer (a sore or wound) that could get infected and not heal well. If an infection doesn’t get better with treatment, your toe, foot, or part of your leg may need to be amputated (removed by surgery) to prevent the infection from spreading and to save your life.

When you check your feet every day, you can catch problems early and get them treated right away. Early treatment greatly reduces your risk of amputation.

Tips for Healthy Feet

Get to the bottom of any foot problems by using a mirror or asking for help.

• Check your feet every day for cuts, redness, swelling, sores, blisters, corns, calluses, or any other change to the skin or nails. Use a mirror if you can’t see the bottom of your feet, or ask a family member to help.
• Wash your feet every day in warm (not hot) water. Don’t soak your feet. Dry your feet completely and apply lotion to the top and bottom—but not between your toes, which could lead to infection.
• Never go barefoot. Always wear shoes and socks or slippers, even inside, to avoid injury. Check that there aren’t any pebbles or other objects inside your shoes and that the lining is smooth.
• Wear shoes that fit well. For the best fit, try on new shoes at the end of the day when your feet tend to be largest. Break in your new shoes slowly—wear them for an hour or two a day at first until they’re completely comfortable. Always wear socks with your shoes.
• Trim your toenails straight across and gently smooth any sharp edges with a nail file. Have your foot doctor (podiatrist) trim your toenails if you can’t see or reach your feet.
• Don’t remove corns or calluses yourself, and especially don’t use over-the-counter products to remove them—they could burn your skin.
• Get your feet checked at every health care visit. Also, visit your foot doctor every year (more often if you have nerve damage) for a complete exam, which will include checking for feeling and blood flow in your feet.
• Keep the blood flowing. Put your feet up when you’re sitting, and wiggle your toes for a few minutes several times throughout the day.
• Choose feet-friendly activities like walking, riding a bike, or swimming. Check with your doctor about which activities are best for you and any you should avoid.

Reference:  [1] https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/healthy-feet.html

Meet Dr. Tanner Moore, DMP | Foot & Ankle Specialist | Foot & Ankle Surgeon

Looking for top-notch medical care for your feet or not sure if you need to see a podiatrist? You have come to the right place.  Tanner Moore, DPM specializes in all aspects of foot and ankle care including fractures, bunions, plantar fasciitis, corn and callus problems, diabetic management, sports medicine, and wound care. In addition, Dr. Tanner Moore specializes in conditions that require foot and ankle surgery. A graduate of Brigham Young University with a BS in Exercise Science, Dr. Moore earned a medical degree at the California School of Podiatric Medicine and then went on to complete his podiatric residency at Intermountain Medical Center, Utah.  Dr. Moore is highly specialized with advanced education and training in podiatric care and treatment modalities to address foot and ankle problems to get you back on your feet and doing what you love.  Dr. Moore`s approach always begins with conservative treatment of foot and ankle conditions, he diagnoses problems and treats the whole foot and ankle — for both surgical and non-surgical cases. 

Concerns With Foot Health? Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Moore: 928-668-5506

This information is meant to be informative but not prescriptive. Their purpose is to provide information on diseases and processes rather than dictate a specific form of diagnosis or treatment. The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure must be made by the physician after all the circumstances are presented by the individual patient.