Employees at the Pedimed Center have a range of additional skills and competencies to perform diabetic pedicure.
Pedicure for diabetics
What is a diabetic foot?
Diabetic foot is a set of disease defects on the foot that leads to an ulcer in the skin that does not heal without proper professional care. The basic harmful circumstances that lead to an ulcer are:
-
Poor circulation
Arteriosclerotic narrowing of the walls of the vessels that supply blood to the foot reduces blood supply, hindering the healing of soft tissue injuries and infection. -
Nerve damage
Nerve damage causes a gradual loss of sensation to touch, temperature and pain. The foot becomes insensitive, especially in the toes, up to the knees, or maybe even completely. Such a foot is at great risk of injury.
-
Infection
The infection occurs due to the penetration of germs through damaged skin. Good blood circulation and relief of the affected part of the foot is a condition for normal rehabilitation. Long-term antibiotic treatment is often required. -
Distortion
Distortion (deformation) of the toes or foot exposes abnormally protruding parts to the pressure of footwear.
from our practice
An ulcer
An ulcer is a wound that does not heal, or heals unusually slowly. It is a dangerous complication, but it is often the result of a very common skin injury:
- mechanical injuries (cuts, blisters, long-term pressure in shoes, etc.),
- pressure of a thick layer of callused skin on the soft tissue underneath,
- burns (with hot water bottles, heating pads),
- damage caused by chemicals (e.g. corn softeners).
An ulcer can be very painful if the skin nerves are still healthy, but it can be completely painful if the nerves are destroyed. An ulcer, which is mainly caused by poor blood circulation (ischemic ulcer), usually occurs on the edges of the foot or toes, where the tissue has been exposed to prolonged pressure (a few hours is enough). The ulcer, which occurs after the crack of the cornified skin in places of long-term exposure to greater pressure during walking, is surrounded on the sole by a ring of residual corneum. It is characterized by severe damage to the nerves of the foot and rarely hurts because the nerves that sense pain are destroyed.
How can you recognize an increased risk of a foot ulcer in time?
Nerve damage can be recognized by insensitivity to touch. Touch the skin of the toes and feet with a piece of cotton. Poor blood supply can be recognized by the following signs and problems: the foot is cold, the patient often gets cold in the legs, after walking a certain distance, pain appears in the legs or thighs. The skin of the feet is cold, slightly cherry-coloured, the nails are thickened, the skin is dry and flaky. Ask your doctor to feel the pulse of the vein on the instep and behind the inner ankle joint. Hard and cracked skin is a sign of excessive pressure when walking. In a healthy foot, the skin is normally thin and soft at these points.
Let's take action now
Gangrene and amputation
Gangrene is the death of tissue. A distinction is made between dry and wet gangrene. In dry gangrene, which is the result of the interrupted blood supply, the dead tissue is hard and black. Moist gangrene is an infection that causes fluid to ooze due to inflammation in still-living tissue. The decayed tissue must be surgically removed (amputated). The extent of the amputation (toe, part of the foot, foot, shin or above the knee) depends on the extent of the decayed tissue and the state of the arterial circulation. The part of the limb that remains can be well blooded so that the amputation wound heals well. The Pedimed Center’s expert team, which has additional knowledge for working with diabetic patients, is completely devoted to you.
help yourself
Visit our online store and shop for foot care products
Among the flood of foot care products, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Trust the experts in the field of medical pedicure and choose among the products from our range of products, which in our opinion reach the highest standard of quality and efficiency.
