Being diagnosed with Diabetes is a life changing event. Many patients feel depressed at the thought of having to take tablets and inject themselves in addition to restricting what they can eat. However, this does not have to be the case. In fact the opposite is true! Diabetes is one of those disorders that if you take control early on, then you can delay or even prevent the onset of many problems.

Diabetes is associated with an increased chance of developing eye, heart, kidney, lower limb and foot problems. You can visit www.diabetes.org for more information.

At Podiatry Station we aim to eliminate the chances of any lower limb and foot problems developing by addressing any risk factors early on. Your treatment plan with us will always be tailored to prevent the onset of any complications rather than waiting for them to arise. We determine which risk category (low, medium or high) you fall into by carrying out a diabetic assessment. The diabetic foot assessment will assess both, your blood and nerve supply, to your feet.

Blood Supply Assessment

The excess sugar within your bloodstream can reduce the volume of blood running through the arteries by reducing the diameter of the blood vessels. This happens when the extra sugar and fats build up into a plaque, which then start to block the artery. This can lead to high blood pressure which is a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Nerve Assessment

Additionally, the excess sugar can wrap itself around the free nerve endings, which can result in pins and needles sensation or can stops the nerves from functioning completely. This means that if you cause injury to your foot in any manner, you may not be aware of this immediately and as a result any trauma to the foot may go untreated. This is how infections and other problems like amputations can occur.

Our diabetic assessment assesses the possible damage done to your arteries and nerves in an easy and painless manner to give you peace of mind and allow you to keep a tight control on your diabetes. Using a machine called a Doppler we will let you listen to the blood flowing through your arteries. The Podiatrist will be able to tell you immediately if there are any areas of concerns.

A tuning fork and monofilament (instruments which are painless and easy to use) will easily determine how well the nerves are working.

Another benefit of having a diabetic assessment done at Podiatry Station is that you will get a detailed report at the end of your assessment, which you can give to your GP or have for your own records (please note this service is chargeable). This will allow you to track your diabetic control to ensure nothing is getting worse.

Diabetic patients should routinely have their feet treated every 8 – 10 weeks.  This would include maintaining your nails and dealing with any hard skin or corns on your feet. This often means that the patient does not need to carry out any foot care treatment themselves in-between appointments. The Podiatrist will recommend that the patient applies a good foot balm daily to their feet.

Being a diabetic it is very important that you choose a clean clinic which uses sterilised instruments for your treatment as you are at a greater chance of picking up an infection. At Podiatry Station we pride ourselves on keeping our clinic very clean and sterile. If you don’t believe us read our reviews!  Our patients recognise that our clinic is exceptionally clean and really is a cut above the rest.