Diabetes & Painful Feet
My husband is a 39 year old type 2 diabetic. He has said for years his feet are numb, but I wasn't sure how it really affected him. The other day, he was in the shower and I guess the soap got under his feet and he slipped and fell because he couldn't feel it. He is a big guy so he fell hard, tore down the shower rod and all. He's pretty bruised up and has been in pain ever since. He worries me with his feet. What causes his feet to be numb and is there anything that can be done about this or is this something he is going to live with forever? What can I do to make sure he is getting the proper care he needs for his feet? Is this something he should be seeing a foot doctor for on a regular basis? Sorry for the multiple questions, just want to be helpful and take any preventative measures possible!!
Questions Answered by Leading Local Doctors
Numbness in the feet is a difficult problem. Yes, many diabetics can have numbness but so can a lot of the other population. We recommend all that do have numbness to be evaluated by a podiatrist or foot/ankle specialist. In many instances we can mitigate the pain associated with the numbness but more importantly prevent long term issues. However, it is important to to know that there is no cure for the numbness rather it is a condition we have to decrease the chance for issues to occur secondarily to the numbness or neuropathy.
Dr. Patrick Briggs
Dr. Patrick Briggs
