Having a diagnosis of diabetes type 1 or type 2 can increase your risk of developing foot problems such as foot deformity, sensation loss and ulceration. Clinical guidelines recommend that all patients with diabetes undergo a 6-12 month diabetic foot care review in order to prevent the risk of developing complications. 

Diabetes can affect your feet:

Increasing or decreasing the ability to sweat, causes increase risk of dry skin / development to the feet,

Increased risk of hard cracked skin / fissures,

Increased risk of callus and corn development,

Cause stiffening of the ligaments and tendons of the toes, resulting in foot and toe deformity, 

Thickened toe nail development,

Loss of sensation / numbness in the feet,

Reduced blood flow to the feet,

Increased risk of skin damage / wound and ulcer development,

Treatment:

As podiatrists we are able to offer diabetic foot care review appointments on a regular basis to monitor diabetic foot risk status, including

Vascular assessment - using 8mhz hand held ultrasound Doppler (assess quality and sound of blood flow into the feet), 

Neurological assessment - using 10g monofilament pen. (Detect sensation loss),

If needed, onwards NHS GP referral, or onward referrals to NHS Podiatry if assessed as high or active risk, in line with NICE NG19 guidelines.