Study Finds Podiatrist Visits Help Prevent Leg Amputations For Diabetes Patients

A recent study performed by Thomson Reuters concluded that just one preventative

visit to the podiatrist can drastically reduce the risk of hospitalization and lower leg amputation among diabetes patients. This breakthrough underscores the importance of podiatrist visits, especially among those patients that are diagnosed with diabetes.

Diabetic foot complications are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations in the United States. Diabetes patients are reported to be 15 times more likely to have an amputation than other people. Fifty percent of all amputations occur in diabetes patients.

People with diabetes are more susceptible to amputation because of a condition called neuropathy. Neuropathy is the result of nerve damage that can cause numbness and pain in the hands and feet. This nerve damage is exhibited more in diabetic patients, especially those who are older, overweight or have had diabetes for more than 25 years. About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes develop some form of neuropathy.

The study, which was sponsored by the American Podiatric Medical Association, looked at medical records for more than 32,000 patients with diabetes. The study compared health and risk factors for those people who had podiatry visits to those who had not. Those patients who did visit a podiatrist at least once had a 29 percent lower risk of amputation and a 24 percent lower risk of hospitalization.

The study leaves no doubt that a podiatrist should be included in any diabetes treatment plan. To ignore that aspect of diabetes treatment would create a substantially higher risk for hospitalization and amputation.

The main benefit of seeing a podiatrist is the chance to get your foot examined by a professional. Many times, people treat nagging foot injuries as though they are not important. People tend to think that if they ignore their foot problems, eventually they will just go away. This could not be further from the truth. Especially in cases that involve diabetes, it is essential to catch any potential foot problems early on.

If a diabetic patient neglects to get their feet examined when they have a problem, there is a much higher probability that the minor problem could develop into a larger issue. As with many serious diseases, patients have to be vigilant in maintaining their health and making sure they detect any problems early on.

In addition to detecting potential problems with neuropathy, a trip to the podiatrist can resolve a number of other issues. Many times simple foot pain can be fixed by listening to a podiatrist's advice or just by switching a pair of shoes. Podiatrists can prescribe orthotics to fix the weight distribution of your foot or help fix other problems like athlete's foot. Contact your Lincoln Park podiatrist today to find out more information about diabetic foot treatment and other foot treatments.

by: Gen Wright

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