Diabetic Treatment

Podiatry Assessment for Diabetes in Brisbane

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high.

This is because insulin is lacking, or the body’s way of converting glucose into energy is not working properly.

There are two main types of Diabetes –

Type 1 – is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

Type 2 – is the most common and is usually the result of hereditary factors and lifestyle risk factors, including poor diet, not enough physical activity, and being overweight or obese.

How Diabetes Can Affect Your Feet –

Your feet are supplied with blood to keep them healthy. They also have lots of nerves that act as a warning system e.g. a small stone in your shoe will irritate the nerves, who will sent signals of pain or discomfort. Poorly controlled Diabetes can lead to nerve damage, meaning you no longer notice the stone in your shoe. This can result in an injury or wound, and possibly an infection. If you have poor circulation, any injuries or wounds will take longer to heal, as there is less blood flowing to your feet to assist in healing damaged tissue. If these injuries or wounds, as well as infections, go unnoticed and untreated, or if healing is delayed due to poor circulation, they can develop into ulcers, and in severe cases lead to amputation of parts of the foot.

Podiatry Treatment –

The best Podiatry treatment for diabetes is prevention. If these sores are detected early and treated effectively, they shouldn’t escalate to a situation where amputation is required.

Current research suggests that Diabetics should have their feet checked by a health professional twice a year, in line with the annual cycle of care requirements for good diabetes management.

Our podiatrists offer comprehensive diabetic assessments with written reports back to your GP.