Routine diabetic foot care is essential if you’re one of the 38.4 million Americans who are living with diabetes. At NYC Foot & Ankle Center in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood of the Upper West Side, expert podiatrists Diana Valencia, DPM, Emmanuel Bustos, DPM, and the team provide diabetic foot care to people of all ages. Regular checkups and healthy lifestyle changes prevent diabetes from worsening, protecting your feet and preserving your mobility. To schedule diabetic foot care for yourself or your child, call the New York City office today, or book your appointment online.
Diabetic foot care is important because it significantly reduces your risk of diabetes-related complications, such as infections, diabetic ulcers, and nerve damage.
Diabetes is a group of chronic illnesses that affect your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Although everyone needs some blood sugar to survive, too much can damage your blood vessels and nerves.
If the blood vessels and nerves in your feet don’t function properly, you might injure yourself and not realize it, increasing the risk of infection, gangrene (tissue death), and other complications.
The NYC Foot & Ankle Center team encourages everyone with diabetes to schedule diabetic foot care at least once annually. You might need more frequent checkups if you have diabetic ulcers (slow-healing wounds) or other symptoms that increase the risk of infection and mobility problems.
The NYC Foot & Ankle Center team tailors diabetic foot care to your needs, but most checkups include similar steps.
Your provider asks about your diabetes and how well you manage your blood sugar. They examine your feet, toes, and lower legs, checking for hair loss and skin discoloration. They also touch your toes, feet, and legs with various tools to check for tingling, numbness, and sensitivity.
If you have a diabetic ulcer or another open wound, your provider looks for signs of infection and collects a biopsy (tissue sample). Then, they order X-rays or an MRI to see how far the wound extends beneath your skin.
Following the exam, the NYC Foot & Ankle Center team develops a personalized treatment plan.
The NYC Foot & Ankle Center team offers various diabetic foot care treatments, including:
When diabetes is caught early on, preventive measures are often enough to prevent diabetic foot problems altogether.
For example, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and inspecting your feet and toes daily can keep your blood sugar in check and alert you to injuries before they get infected.
Call NYC Foot & Ankle Center today to request diabetic foot care, or book your appointment online.