Diabetes and the Feet: What's The Link? Part 2

Did you know that 44 million people worldwide currently have Diabetes? This blog article will focus on what the link between (Type 2) Diabetes and the feet is. This can basically be summed up in one phrase: Diabetes slowly creates a malfunctioning foot which can eventually become VERY dysfunctional if not controlled. So, let’s look at one of the ways Diabetes is linked to the feet in more detail.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Ever heard of a condition called Peripheral Neuropathy (PN)? You are not alone. Many of the Type 2 Diabetics I have treated hadn’t heard of it either. PN is a condition that causes the degradation of the peripheral nerves (aka nerves that are a part of the body’s Peripheral Nervous System). Unfortunately, there’s no known cure. It can affect both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics but statistically, it affects about half of all Type 2 Diabetics.

Q What causes PN?

To summarise it in a few words: certain cells/compounds of the body either become hyperactive or hypoactive. There are several types of PN but the one that tends to affect Type 2 Diabetics starts degrading both of the feet’s nerves, a, Distal Symmetrical Polyneuropathy.

The Link between Diabetes and the feet: Peripheral Neuropathy

So, how does PN, as a manifestation of (Type 2) Diabetes, affect the feet? I’ve listed this down to three main ways:

It slowly starts to desensitise the feet, to the point where for some, they lose a good chunk of sensation on their feet
It increases the likelihood of developing ulceration on the foot
For some, it can be VERY painful

Because of these three main issues that can arise, Podiatrists such as myself prescribe specific advice that caters to patients who have PN. For those experiencing painful PN, Doctors may prescribe pain medications such as Pregabalin or Gabapentin for PN’s pharmaceutical management.

So, what’s the link between Diabetes and the feet? It’s mainly the fact that Diabetes slowly creates malfunctioning feet. If it’s poorly controlled, this can cause the feet to become dysfunctional. One of the many manifestations of the feet malfunctioning is the existence of Peripheral Nephropathy. Peripheral Nephropathy and Diabetes may be incurable, however, with good control, whether it’s through consuming an appropriate diet, pharmaceutical methods and other types of treatment, (Type 2) Diabetes doesn’t have to be as devastating as it can become. Stay tuned for a special segment on this series about Diabetes and its effect on the feet.

To learn about the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, check out the previous post (scroll down to see).

Loved this article? Please rate it 5 :star: . Share and Subscribe for weekly emails.