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Diabetic Neuropathy

The most common symptoms of Neuropathy include numbness and loss of feeling, usually in the feet and hands. Diabetic Neuropathy can cause insensitivity or a loss of ability to feel pain, heat, and cold. Diabetics suffering from Diabetic Neuropathy can develop minor cuts, scrapes, blisters, or pressure sores that they may not be aware of due to insensitivity in their feet. If these minor injuries are left untreated, complications may result and lead to ulceration — and possibly even amputation.

SYMPTOMS

The most common symptoms include numbness and loss of feeling, usually in the feet and hands. Diabetics suffering from Diabetic Neuropathy can develop minor cuts, scrapes, blisters, or pressure sores that they may not be aware of due to insensitivity in their feet. If these minor injuries are left untreated, complications may result and lead to ulceration — and possibly even amputation. Neuropathy can also cause deformities such as:

  • Bunions
  • Hammer Toes
  • Charcot Feet (softening of bones in the feet)

CAUSES

  • Diabetic Neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the nerves. The most common type of Diabetic Neuropathy is called peripheral neuropathy and affects the peripheral nerves, which are the nerves that go out from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin, internal organs, and glands. Peripheral neuropathy impairs proper functioning of these sensory and motor nerves.

TREATMENT

It is very important for diabetics to take the necessary precautions to prevent all foot related injuries. Due to the consequences of Diabetic Neuropathy, daily observation of the feet is critical. When a diabetic patient takes the necessary preventative foot care measures, it reduces the risk of developing serious foot conditions. The most successful way to prevent Diabetic Neuropathy from occurring is to control your diabetes. It is important to maintain blood sugars at normal levels and maintain normal blood pressure. Other recommendations to help prevent Diabetic Neuropathy include:

  • Stop smoking
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
  • Have regular physical exams
  • Have regular blood and urine tests
  • Exercise regularly, according to your doctor’s recommendation.

THE ORTHOCARE PLACE PRODUCTS

  • Footwear made specifically for diabetics
  • Socks without seams
  • Custom-fitted, custom-crafted arch supports (orthotics)

Visit a The Orthocare Place fit expert today for a free digital foot assessment, consultation and treatment recommendations foreffective non-invasive solutions

COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO DIABETES

There are numerous complications associated with diabetes. Diabetes disrupts the vascular system, affecting many areas of the body, such as the eyes, kidneys, legs, and feet. This can lead to peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet. In fact, diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy can lead to a dangerous foot condition called Charcot Foot, a degenerative process where the structure and shape of the foot collapse due to undetected injury creating a deformity. Charcot Foot can lead to ulcers in the feet that are difficult to heal often resulting in amputation and even death. High blood sugar damages the vascular system and nerve fibers, especially in the feet and legs affecting both sensory nerves and the proprioceptors (the nerves that tell your body where it is in relation to space e.g. where your foot is relative to the floor, the stairs, etc.). This nerve damage results in sensations that range from tingling, to pain or numbness. For some people, the symptoms can be mild, while for others it can be severe, disabling and even fatal. Because diabetic neuropathy affects the nerves of the feet, even small injuries such as a blister or rubbing inside a shoe can go undetected. Because shoes are a warm, moist environment, bacteria grows quickly. This can lead to infection which can be difficult to treat as the blood supply to neuropathic feet is compromised due to vascular damage. Infections that won’t heal can quickly turn into diabetic ulcers (injury into the deeper layers of tissue) which dramatically increase the risk of amputation of the affected area.