Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetic foot care is essential if you’re one of the 37.3 million Americans who have diabetes. At Blackstone Valley Foot and Ankle in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, experienced podiatrist Joseph Domenico, DPM, and his team provide diabetic foot care to teens and adults, including vascular testing, diabetic shoes, and specialized wound care products. Make an appointment at Blackstone Valley Foot and Ankle today by calling the office or booking your visit online. 

Why is diabetic foot care so important?

Diabetes is a group of chronic diseases that affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. We all need blood sugar to survive; it fuels our cells and gives us energy. But if your blood sugar stays high all of the time, it causes other issues, like poor blood flow and nerve damage.

These problems are especially acute in the feet and toes. If you have nerve damage there, you could cut yourself or step on something sharp and not realize it. That wound might become infected, increasing the risk of gangrene (tissue death) or even amputation.

What symptoms indicate a need for diabetic foot care?

Telltale signs of diabetic foot problems include:

• Skin discoloration
• Reduced ability to feel hot and cold
• Loss of body hair
• Pain and tingling
• Swelling

Diabetes increases your risk of diabetic ulcers –– slow-healing wounds that form on the feet, toes, and ankles. 

What happens during a diabetic foot care appointment?

Your Blackstone Valley Foot and Ankle provider asks about your diabetes, including what type you have and how well you manage your blood sugar. 

They examine your feet, toes, and lower legs, checking for diabetic wounds or other problems, and touch the bottom of your feet with different tools to check for numbness. Lastly, your provider completes vascular testing to determine how well blood circulates in your lower extremities. 

Your provider takes X-rays if you have a diabetic wound to see how far it extends beneath the skin. They also collect a biopsy (skin sample) and send it to a lab to check for infection. 

What does diabetic foot care involve?

The Blackstone Valley Foot and Ankle team provides a wide range of diabetic foot care services. They might suggest:

• Diabetic shoes designed to reduce the risk of diabetic wounds
• Custom orthotics (prescription shoe inserts)
• Specialized wound care products
• Draining and cleaning diabetic wounds
• Wound dressings, like skin grafts or skin substitutes
• Wound debridement (removal of infected or dead tissue)
• Prescription oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics

For optimal results, the team combines one or more of these treatments with healthy lifestyle changes. These improvements, like eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining your weight, prevent diabetes from worsening so you can live your best life. 

To enroll in diabetic wound care at Blackstone Valley Foot and Ankle, call the office today or schedule your appointment online.