Diabetic Foot Care

Around 70 Australians a week have limbs or toes amputated because of diabetes-related complications – that’s one person every 2-3 hours!

Australia has the second highest rate of diabetic related amputations in the developed world. The most recent figures suggest that there are 8,000 lower limb amputations performed each year in Australia.

Podiatrists play a key role in preventing foot and leg amputations caused by Diabetes. Your podiatrist is an important part of your Diabetic care plan, and is here to help educate and assess your feet and legs for possible risks part of your Diabetic care plan.

Why is it important to get your feet checked?

People with diabetes have an increased risk of damage to their nerves and blood circulation. Your feet are furthest from your heart and contain a lot of small blood vessels which are often the first body part to show signs of complications caused by diabetes. Nerve damage and poor circulation can delay the body's ability to heal after being traumatised (e.g. by cuts/bruises). This places those with Diabetes at a high risk of developing foot ulcers, and may lead to amputations in severe cases where it is not treated properly.

If you notice any of the following symptoms, it could be a sign of a diabetes related complication and the need for a review with your podiatrist for a diabetic foot assessment.

Nerve damage can appear as the following symptoms:

o    Numbness

o    Coldness in legs

o    Pins & needles

o    Burning pain

Poor blood supply can appear as the following symptoms: 

o    Leg cramps

o    Pain in feet (even at rest)

o    Feet feel cold

o    Reddish/blue feet colour

o    Delayed healing of cuts