Diabetic Foot Care at Hunt Footcare Clinics
Being a diabetic needn’t stop you doing what you enjoy, and at Hunt Footcare, we can help with specialist care of diabetic feet, an area that requires special care when you have this condition. We can help you care for your feet, preventing ulcers, and treating any skin problems that occur.
Diabetes is one the fastest-growing conditions in our society today; 9 million Canadians have this condition. Whilst it is both treatable and manageable, it does have associated health issues, including foot care requirements.
Why Your Feet are at Risk with Diabetes
In the majority of diabetics, your blood glucose levels cause nervous system damage (known as neuropathy) that can lead to loss of feeling in your feet and an inability to detect pain. This loss of feeling stops early warning signs of problems being noticed, so it’s particularly important to keep diabetic feet clean, warm and dry. If not, ulcers can develop unnoticed, which can become infected. If you suffer from diabetes, you also have reduced blood flow to your feet, so minor cuts, sores or ulcers take longer to heal.
Diabetes can also lead to a condition known as Charcot foot, where the bones of the feet start to deteriorate without the patient noticing the problem. Equally, toes can start to curl (claw toes) and you may experience flat feet due to fallen arches. Skin may become dry due to reduced activity of the sweat glands, and your circulation may also be affected.
The good news is all of these conditions are largely preventable and treatable by our expert diabetes foot clinic staff which provides on going preventative foot care maintenance, education and monitoring, treatment of skin lesions, careful dressing and treatment of the skin, ulcers and wound management including off loading devices such as custom orthotics for your shoes. We can also provide specialist socks, hosiery, and custom made orthopedic footwear to help you be on your feet without worry.