Neuropathy in Feet

The top reason for amputation of people with diabetes is because of diabetic foot ulcer. Physicians and the patients should work together to prevent this. It is preventable and there are diabetics even those who have neuropathy in feet who have avoided amputation. Proper care both on the side of the physician and the patient is one thing that will prevent amputation.

The physician should always do physical examination of the feet of the patient. The examination should be very careful. Aside from the physical examination, there should also be other routine tests including monofilament test for the development of neuropathy. Neuropathy should be detected early because there are patients who already have neuropathy and the physicians didn’t tell them how to go about it.

When a diabetic patient has neuropathy, family physicians should advise them on the correct nail care, foot care and foot hygiene. Patients get bruised and cuts without knowing them because they can’t feel sensation in their feet. This is the reason why diabetic foot ulcer has already formed in the feet for weeks and months already and the patient doesn know about it.

Early detection and treatment are the best ways to prevent amputation. A patient shouldn’t wait for them to develop diabetic foot ulcer. Family physicians should always check if the patient has neuropathy in feet because in most cases, neuropathy is the reason why ulcers develop in the first place. As everything else that concerns our health, prevention is still better option than treatment.