Diabetes Health Center
Diabetic Nerve Pain: 10 Foot Care Tips to Protect Yourself
10 Tips to Protect Your Feet continued...
Foot Care Tip 6. Stay soft - but dry.
Your skin may be dry and cracked because of high glucose levels, and cracked
skin means it's easier for bacteria to get under your skin and harder for
infections to heal. Use a small amount of skin lotion daily, but be sure your
feet feel dry - not damp or sticky - afterwards. Try not to get the lotion in
between your toes. Keep your toenails trimmed and filed smooth to avoid ingrown
toenails. You may find it easier to trim your nails after using lotion, when
your cuticles are softer. Use a pumice stone after showering or bathing to
softly file corns or calluses.
Foot Care Tip 7. Try non-impact exercise.
Swimming, cycling, yoga, and tai chi are increasingly popular ways to exercise
- with minimal impact on your feet. Talk with your doctor before starting an
exercise program.
Foot Care Tip 8. Fix bunions, corns, and hammertoes.
If your big toe slants sharply in toward your other toes, with a big bump on
the knuckle of your big toe, you've got a classic bunion. Corns are spots of
thick, rough skin, where the tissue builds up on toes constantly barraged by
too much rubbing or pressure. A buckled-under toe, called a hammertoe, can
result from muscle weakness caused by diabetic nerve damage. All of these make
it hard to fit shoes comfortably. But a good podiatrist can help you fix these
problems and take better care of your feet.
Foot Care Tip 9. Consider fitted orthotics.
A podiatrist can also fit you with shoe inserts called orthotics to support
your feet if your have diabetic nerve pain or the muscles have become weak from
nerve damage. If pain or weakness is so severe that it's too painful or even
impossible to walk, a foot brace or orthopedic shoes might help. A podiatrist
is your best source for these devices.
Foot Care Tip 10. Control your blood sugar.
The best treatment for nerve pain, ultimately, is to manage your diabetes well.
In fact, a major study by the American Diabetes Association in 2006 showed that
strict blood glucose control with intensive insulin therapy lowered the chances
of having symptoms of peripheral neuropathy - tingling, burning, and pain - by
64%. While you can't control whether or not you get diabetic nerve pain, you
can help control your glucose levels with diet, exercise, and mediations if you
need them.
Your feet are your source of independence - or at least its foundation. Give your feet a little tenderness, a little loving care, each day. And be sure to have your doctor take a good look at your feet during each of your diabetes checkups, in case you missed anything.
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