Why Can't I Feel My Feet: Diabetic Neuropathy

The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes all of the decorations, parties and cheer. There is also grandma’s famous fruit cake, mom’s delicious fudge and dad’s fireside s’mores. Once we get started with Halloween, it’s just one delicious treat after another. Let’s not forget the important ingredient that is in all of these delights though, sugar, and lots of it. Now anything is good in moderation, but for a diabetic, this is can be a difficult time of year.

Diabetes is a condition that plagues 8.3% of our countries population, and the numbers are steadily rising. We’ve all seen the scary pictures of the diabetic patient, but the good news for you is that diabetes is something that can be controlled. It is also a topic that has had a large amount of research put into it and there have been several quick tests that can be done by your podiatrist to monitor the condition.

An important thing that we are concerned about in people with this condition is Diabetic Neuropathy. This is just fancy medical terminology to say that the nerves of the foot are not working properly and you can’t feel something touching your foot. As a result, you can’t feel pain in your foot. So, your first thought is great! Nobody likes pain, but pain is your body’s warning sing that something isn’t right. Think about when you are walking down a trail and a piece of gravel gets stuck in your shoe. It’s annoying, but it’s not a big deal, because you’ll just stop, remove it and be on your way. For a diabetic patient who doesn’t feel the gravel, they will keep it in their shoe because they don’t even know it is there. This can lead to blisters and ultimately open sores on their feet that they won’t even know are there.

This is where a podiatrist comes into the picture. Through several quick, non-invasive tests, a podiatrist can determine if the patient has lost sensation in their foot and determine how far up their leg it extends. Then, through periodic check-ups, a close eye can be kept on the person to make sure they don’t develop ulcers. If they do, then the podiatrist will be able to take quick, aggressive actions to heal the wound as quickly as possible and prevent drastic surgeries. New data has shown that diabetic amputations can be prevented 85% of the time through working closely with your podiatrist to maintain the health and well-being of your feet and legs.

Diabetes is a long-term disease that requires a significant amount of teamwork between the patient and their physician. However, this does not have to be a condition that controls your life. The sooner that you form a partnership with your podiatrist, the better your results will be.