People with diabetes are prone to experiencing side effects of the disease, and one of those side effects is diabetic foot pain. If you have diabetes, you are at risk of developing diabetic neuropathy, which results in a loss of sensation in your legs and feet. Therefore, it is important to implement specialized diabetic foot care to reduce your risk of requiring amputation.

While the prospect of losing your leg, foot, or toes is scary, know that it is preventable with proper foot care. Let’s talk about how to relieve diabetic foot pain and to prevent further damage to your feet:

Pain Medication

Over-the-counter or prescription pain medication may be used to treat and relieve diabetic foot pain. Some examples are ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen. It is best to ask your doctor which medicines would be best for you; if your foot pain isn’t relieved with these medicines, you may need prescription-strength medication.

Exercise

For diabetics, high-impact exercise is not recommended. The key is low-impact exercise in moderation so as to avoid damaging the already vulnerable feet. Therefore, walking, swimming, or biking for 30 minutes is typically recommended to diabetics.

Physical Therapy

Seeing a physical therapist who specializes in neuropathy and diabetic foot pain can have a positive effect on diabetic foot pain. Physical therapy not only helps reduce pain but also slows or prevents the progression of neuropathy.

Diabetic Shoes

Wearing the right shoes is crucial to protecting the feet and preventing injury in diabetic patients. One issue with diabetes is that diabetic neuropathy can make you lose sensation in your foot, so you may not be able to feel pain when there is even a minor injury or infection. And if an injury or infection isn’t treated, it can become a major infection that can have life-threatening consequences. This is why amputation may be the only option if a foot infection has worsened.

In addition, the proper shoes can relieve diabetic foot pain by reducing plantar pressure and providing adequate support. There are shoes that are specially designed for diabetic feet, so ask your doctor about what type of support you should look for.

What Does Diabetic Foot Pain Feel Like?

This type of foot pain is often accompanied by other symptoms like numbness, tingling, and a burning sensation due to neuropathy. More than 70% of patients with diabetes eventually develop diabetic neuropathy. This condition cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be managed.

Diabetic Foot Pain Physicians in Cincinnati

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and you are at risk of developing neuropathy, invest in diabetic foot care in order to keep your lower extremities protected. Always be on the lookout for any signs of corns and calluses or cuts and scratches.

At Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care, we treat a wide range of conditions that affect the feet, including diabetic foot pain and diabetic neuropathy. Our compassionate team of podiatrists specializes in treating diabetic patients with foot infections, foot ulcers, neuropathy, and more. We administer safe and gentle diabetic wound care to make sure it does not lead to an infection. Our goal is to provide for all your foot care needs for better outcomes.

To schedule a consultation with our highly skilled podiatrists, please call us at the Cincinnati Foot & Ankle Care location nearest you. We look forward to serving you!