November is American Diabetes Month. Unfortunately, the number of people being diagnosed with this potentially dreadful and deadly disease is rapidly expanding not only here in the Americas, but also worldwide and with no end in sight. The high blood sugar that is the hallmark of diabetes is directly linked to peripheral neuropathy, which causes numbness and an inability to feel an injury on the foot, which can result in an infection that spreads to the bone requiring amputation. Don’t forget to take good care of your feet!

Here are some great tips for keeping your feet healthy:

• Follow the plan—Make sure you comprehend the treatment plan and are doing everything you can to manage your disease. Keep active and quit smoking. Follow the proper dietary guidelines. Your feet will thank you.
• Daily foot inspection—Be sure to check everywhere, including between the toes and on the bottoms of your feet. Use a mirror, or ask someone to help you do the inspection. Be sure to check for bruises, cuts, blisters, and nail problems.
• The right shoes—Your shoes need to fit well and have a roomy toe box. Have your podiatrist examine your feet and recommend the most appropriate shoes for your foot type. A wide variety of diabetic footwear and other shoes are available in our Ardmore shoe store.

If you are suffering with diabetes, be sure to enlist the help of a foot care professional in the management of your illness. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.