Nerve Evaluation: When you have Diabetes, the #1 threat to your feet is nerve dysfunction. This can be in the form of tingling, burning, numbness or pain. Either one can be devastating to your everyday life. We offer a thorough nerve evaluation and testing that can prevent future problems. We provide many treatment options to relieve Neuropathy.  Vascular Evaluation: The second threat to your diabetic feet is decreased circulation. We offer testing to evaluate circulation. Vascular testing is painless, covered by insurance, and is strongly recommended by Medicare. If you have had diabetes for more than 5 years and haven’t been tested, it may be time to do that.  Deformity Evaluation: Deformities in any diabetic foot place you at significantly greater risk for foot ulcers. Deformities need to be accommodated or corrected in order to decrease the risk.   Callus and Nail Treatment and Evaluation: Problems with nails and calluses are quite benign in a healthy patient. But in a patient with diabetes, they can be a precursor to disaster. Appropriate treatments and preventative measures or intervention can make a huge difference and save your feet.  Shoes: Diabetic shoes can make a big difference in protecting your feet. At Next Step Foot & Ankle Clinic, we offer a wide variety of Diabetic Shoes to fit your needs.  We do not participate in any insurance carrier’s diabetic shoe program including the Medicare Therapeutic Shoe Program.  All shoes are sold on a self-pay basis.  Ingrown Toenails: One of the more common causes of amputation in a diabetic foot is neglected ingrown toenails. If caught in time, these can easily be treated and permanently resolved.  Healthy Skin: Many patients with diabetes have significant moisture problems, fissures, infections, and fungus on their skin. Simple measures can prevent many of these problems. The skin is the first line of defense against foot loss. If your skin stays healthy, your feet follow.  Ulcers: Once a diabetic foot ulcer occurs, expert care is needed to get the wounds to heal. Topical wound care typically does not heal a diabetic ulcer. The most important thing in treating an ulcer is usually taking pressure off the wound. This requires significant intervention like casting, immobilization, specialized insoles, and even surgery. We provide the full spectrum of ulcer care.  Surgery when Necessary: Sometimes, in order to heal an ulcer or eliminate a pressure point, surgery is necessary. This can be a real game-changer and significantly lower your risk of foot ulcers. Foot ulcers can often be healed by simple surgical measures.  Education: We provide all of our diabetic patients with significant education on the prevention of foot problems. There are several small things that you can do every day that can dramatically lower your risk of having any problems with your feet. We also educate our patients about the importance of blood sugar control, weight loss, and we give our patients tools to help them with these problems.

Diabetes wages war constantly on  your feet. Your partnership with Next Step Foot and Ankle Clinic ensure that you are taking the next step to healthy feet. Please let us know what you do to care for your diabetic feet and what the biggest threat has been to your feet?