Our Vancouver Podiatrists Explain Peripheral Neuropathy and Foot Wounds
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a condition that causes nerve damage in your legs and feet. Some people also experience it in their arms and hands. Many people with this health complication lose sensation in their feet, which makes it more challenging to notice the development of puncture wounds, cuts, and foot ulcers.
At Clover Podiatry, our foot doctors specialize in wound care. Learn more about peripheral neuropathy, how it increases the risk of developing foot wounds and ulcers, and what we can do to help.
Understanding Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
People with untreated or mismanaged diabetes have a greater risk of developing peripheral neuropathy. A high blood glucose level damages the small blood vessels providing oxygen and nutrients for your nerves—if this goes on for too long, the nerves can die.
Since nerve tissue carries signals to your brain, any type of nerve damage prevents your brain from receiving critical pain signals. This is why many people are unaware they’ve injured their feet or that their shoes are too tight or rubbing hard enough to cause blisters. Nerve damage also affects your balance and coordination, which may make falls—and the accompanying injuries—more likely.
Other risk factors for developing peripheral neuropathy include:
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- High body mass index
- Elevated triglycerides or high cholesterol
Typical symptoms of neuropathy include:
- Loss of sensation in the feet
- Conversely, a burning or shooting pain in the lower legs
Each person reacts to the condition differently and for some, symptoms may come on gradually or appear suddenly.
Why Neuropathy Makes Foot Wounds and Ulcers Worse
Neuropathy interferes with your body’s natural ability to fight infection and increases the risk of chronic foot wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers, which are open wounds or sores that are slow to heal.
The lack of proper recovery is caused by inadequate blood flow to the feet—which means open sores don’t receive the right supply of infection-fighting cells. Peripheral neuropathy is a major factor in nearly 90 percent of foot ulcers.
How Clover Podiatry Can Help Treat and Prevent Foot Wounds Related to Peripheral Neuropathy
Let’s address your treatment options for neuropathic ulcers or other foot wounds. Here’s our approach:
- Immediate wound care. This includes cleaning the wound, removing dead tissue, and applying wound dressings.
- Offloading. This process involves finding ways to redistribute weight away from the affected area, such as using braces, casts, or special shoes.
- Medications. If necessary, we may prescribe antibiotics or analgesics to promote healing and alleviate pain. We might also try more advanced medicated wound dressings.
- Surgery. In more severe cases, it’s our goal to avoid amputation if at all possible. So we may perform more intensive debridement or removal of dead tissue. It might also be necessary to repair bone infections or deformities.
But your ultimate goal is to avoid any type of foot ulcer. Here’s what we frequently recommend to our patients managing diabetes:
- Do daily foot checks to look for cuts, scrapes, blisters, ingrown toenails, and other signs of abnormalities. Use a mirror or ask someone to help you.
- Keep your feet clean and dry, and apply lotion to your heels every day to prevent cracks from forming.
- Quit smoking.
- Manage your blood sugar and cholesterol levels with a doctor-approved eating plan.
- Take all medication as advised by your physician.
- Stay physically active to improve circulation throughout your body.
- Limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day for women and two per day for men
Unfortunately, peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes is often permanent, so partnering with one of our skilled foot doctors and your other health care providers on critical preventative measures is the best course of action.