Diabetes gives patients with the condition a higher risk of complications with their feet and ankles. They’re likely to have issues such as neuropathy and blood circulation that isn’t sufficient for the body. This means wounds won’t be able to heal properly. At Newtown Foot and Ankle Specialists, our Newtown, PA foot specialists can help ensure your diabetic foot issues are taken care of.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is often known as diabetic nerve damage. A high glucose level can damage the nerves in your extremities, known as peripheral neuropathy. When the nerves are damaged, the brain can’t receive communication from those nerves, such as a pain response. You can tell that you may have a problem with neuropathy if you’re feeling tingling and burning in your feet, or shooting pains, you may need to be checked for neuropathy.
Circulation Issues
Blood flow circulation is essential for healing wounds. Without that blood flow, any cuts you get can easily become infected. Patients with neuropathy or circulation issues may not feel any symptoms and continue walking around as normal. This leads to the condition becoming worse and worse. If an infection spreads due to bad circulation or the nerve damage is severe, there’s a chance your foot will have to be amputated.
Foot and Limb Salvage at Newtown Foot and Ankle Specialists
As your foot specialist in Newtown, PA, Newtown Foot and Ankle providers are adept at trying to save your feet from the effects of diabetes and amputation. We know how important it is for you to get treatment as soon as possible. This prevents your condition from spreading and keeps you as healthy as possible.
Our specialists will do a full, thorough evaluation to determine the best course of treatment for you. We’ll talk to you about your lifestyle, medical history, and current status of your issues. We want to figure out the best treatment for you as an individual. It’s essential that the infection doesn’t progress and worsen. Our treatments for infection include:
- Joint reconstruction
- Draining any fluid
- Advanced wound healing techniques
- Removing damaged tissue from any ulcers or wounds.
After we do this, you’ll have to be diligent about aftercare. Taking your medications and monitoring your blood sugar are important. Keep your toenails trimmed neatly to eliminate the risk of another cut and infection. Make sure you’re changing your socks often so that they’re clean and dry. Lastly, check your feet daily so that you can see if there are any changes.
Neuropathy Treatment
Unfortunately, there is no actual cure for neuropathy. The treatments available can minimize the impact of neuropathy so you can continue to live your life. These treatments include:
- Keeping your blood sugar under control
- Topical ointments to put on your skin for pain
- Magnetic therapy
- Galvanic stimulation (an electric current to stimulate your nerves and muscle tissue)
Our specialists will talk to you about the various options and decide which ones are the best for you. We want to make sure you have a personalized plan to get your neuropathy on track!
Newtown, Pennsylvania Foot Specialists
At Newtown Foot and Ankle Specialists, we’re ready to take care of all of your foot and ankle needs. Call us today or schedule an appointment online to get started!