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Regular Foot Exams Critical For People with Diabetes

Last November was National Diabetes Month. Members of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association spoke out on the important link between regular foot exams and diabetes management. Two recent studies show that the care provided by podiatrists can save limbs, lives and healthcare dollars.

For those who have or are at risk of diabetes, a podiatrist can detect signs and symptoms of the disease and provide treatments that help to prevent lower-limb amputations. The Thomson Reuters Healthcare Study concludes that doctors of podiatric medicine are critical to saving limbs from amputation, which can happen because of untreated complications from diabetes.

Additionally, the Thomson Reuters Study also addresses the saving of healthcare dollars, with patients who saw a podiatrist incurring lower costs as well as fewer amputations.

“If you extrapolate the results from the study in one year $1.97 billion could be saved in the commercial insurance group, and $1.53 billion could be saved in the Medicare group,” said Vito J. Rizzo, DPM, president of NYSPMA.

Another study done by Duke University concluded that persons visiting a podiatrist and/or a lower-extremity clinician specialist within a year before developing all-stage complications were between 23 percent and 69 percent less likely to have an amputation compared with individuals who visited other health professionals.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 60 – 70% of the people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in foot problems. They also estimate the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion.

“Nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes,” said Dr. Timothy Sheahan, president of the Southern Tier Division of the NYSPMA. Every 30 seconds, a lower limb is lost to diabetes somewhere in the world. People with diabetes are more prone to develop foot infections, called foot ulcers, which can quickly result in amputation. Preventing amputation means knowing the main warning signs. Other common diabetes warning signs in the feet besides ulcers include:

• Redness
• Numbness
• Swelling
• Cold to touch
• Inflammation
• Change in shape
• Slow-healing cuts

High Heels Still Hurt, Still Hazardous To Your Health

From the Huffington Post written by Marielle Bingham

Evidence has confirmed what women have already known for years: extreme high heels are not only painful to wear, but also a hazard to your health.

A recent survey of 1,000 women done by the shoe company MBT found that more than 40% of the high-heel wearers have suffered an accident in them -- most often from falling.'

In addition to injuries due to clumsiness, Luisa Dillner writes in the Guardian that heels over three inches carry a health risk. Three inches?! That is what some call a “kitten heel”.

According to Dillner, heels surpassing the three-inch mark can "seriously increase the pressure on the ball of your foot (up to seven times with heels over 3in high) and affect pretty much every part of your lower body as you walk."

The uneven weight distribution from high heels results in a shorter calf muscle and a thicker Achilles tendon. This makes it extra painful when the foot is flat on the ground and results in sore and inflamed tendons, according to a study in The Journal of Experimental Biology. Painful bunions and hammer toes are some of the other painful effects from heels.

Previous studies have also proven the inconvenient truths of stilettos, as a similar study out of Harvard found an increased risk for arthritis in one's knees from reckless heel-wearing.

Sounds lovely, doesn't it?  In addition, here is the kicker: the man you are trying to impress with those sexy heels isn't even noticing. Another study showed that men do not even take note when women wear those sky-high pumps.

In conclusion,... women will continue to wear high heels.

OUR IN-OFFICE STORE: The Podiatry Affiliates Store, located in our Dent office, now has a practical solution for many cases of heel pain. The Thera-Band foot roller provides massage and cold therapy (when chilled) and the Thera-Band resistance band (red) used for stretching and strengthening.

General E-Mail: questions@podiatryaffiliates.com

Web Site: www.podiatryaffiliates.com

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