Diabetic Foot Conditions

Diabetes is one of the most common reasons people seek relief for painful feet from their podiatrist. Diabetic foot problems are  a serious condition that can be  diagnosed and treated successfully by Board Certified Podiatric Surgeon David P. Rosenzweig, DPM, PC, at either his Rye Brook (Westchester County) or Greenwich, Connecticut office.

Leg and foot problems are the most common reason for diabetes-related hospitalization. Diabetes is the leading cause for amputation in the lower leg and foot. Regular examinations from your podiatrist or foot surgeon for vascular testing (e.g., duplex imaging) are important to help diagnose inadequate blood flow in the legs and feet.

The foot is especially affected by diabetes because:

Diabetes damages the nerves (damage can occur to the foot and not be detected) - this is called peripheral neuropathy
Diabetes affects the body's blood circulation. Poor circulation can affect the ability of the body to heal when damage occurs
Patients with diabetes are more prone to infection - the body's processes that normally fight infection respond slower and often have trouble getting to infections due to the poor circulation
  Diabetes can also affect the joints, making the joints in the foot and ankle stiffer and possibly causing a break-down in more sever cases (charcot foot)
Other diabetes complications that can also affect the foot, for example, kidney disease (affects proteins that are involved in wound healing) and eye disease (can't see the foot to check for damage)

Diabetic foot problems usually occur when there is nerve damage,  neuropathy, which results in loss of feeling in your feet. People with diabetes are prone to many foot problems because of two complications of diabetes: nerve damage (neuropathy) and poor blood circulation. Neuropathy causes loss of feeling in your feet, taking away your ability to feel pain and discomfort, so you may not detect an injury or irritation. Poor circulation in your feet reduces your ability to heal, making it hard for even a small cut  to resist infection.

Proper foot care is especially critical for patients diabetics because they are prone to foot problems such as:

Loss of feeling in their feet
Changes in the shape of their feet
Foot ulcers or sores that do not heal

To make an appointment with the foot doctor, Podiatrist, David P. Rosenzweig, Board Certified in Podiatric Surgery to discuss your diabetic foot problems or to diagnosis diabetic foot related problems please contact him at either his Rye Brook (Westchester County), New York or Greenwich, Connecticut office.