CANTON – As we head into sandals and flip-flop season we may be thinking more about our feet, but they are a part of our body we should keep healthy year-round.

 April is Foot Awareness Month, and St. Lawrence Health (SLH) Podiatrist Jason Sabatini, DPM, pointed out everyone should have regular physical exams to take care of their bodies, and that includes proper attention to our feet.

 “Everyone should take their foot care very seriously. Having problems related to the feet can be debilitating and lead to the inability to walk, run, and even work on their feet,” he said.

Some of the most common foot debilitating conditions Dr. Sabatini sees are related to various foot deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, flat feet, fractures, and arthritis. These problems can all become painful and possibly debilitating over time. There are also problems relating to diabetes that can develop, including neuropathy (numbness in the feet/legs), wounds, infections, and Charcot Arthropathy.

SLH Endocrinologist Paul Tejera, MD, explained that diabetic foot neuropathy is usually caused from high sugars, or uncontrolled diabetes over a long period of time. It is damage in the feet that can lead to multiple symptoms including:

• Numbness (similar to when your foot falls asleep)
• Loss of feeling or sensation (starting in the foot, but can radiate up the leg over time)
• Burning or pain which can be worse with rest or at night; tingling (resting neuropathy)
• Increased sensitivity to a light touch being bothersome or painful (like the touch of a bed sheet over the foot)
• Less common symptoms can including an itching sensation, or the feeling of extra padding under the foot that isn't there (like a rolled up sock under the foot)

Both physicians said the new Wound Care Center at Massena Hospital will be a great asset to some of their patients.

“Regular and skilled wound care can definitely be an invaluable tool in helping to heal wounds at a much faster rate,” Dr. Sabatini said. “Regular wound care in the clinic will ensure continued monitoring and healing progress, and the hyperbaric chamber can further assist with more effective healing of an infected wound.

“The option of having a Wound Care Center in Massena will offer a far more convenient way for our patients to receive quality health/wound care,” he added.

Dr. Tejera said, “Having the Wound Care Center closer to our community will allow our patients to receive expert care from wound care professionals - nurses and providers - who can identify, treat, and manage wounds that develop from diabetic foot neuropathy.”

He noted other treatments can include medications prescribed by a provider that may help treat pain caused by nerve damage. Also, if sores or wounds develop, a provider may need to treat the area by cleaning the sore and removing dead skin around it, prescribing antibiotics, or potentially performing surgery.

Methods used to protect the feet of patients with diabetic foot neuropathy may include:

• Controlling blood sugar levels
• Covering feet at all time with shoes or slipper, and avoid going barefoot
• Checking both feet every day to visually look for cuts, blister, swelling, or redness; using a mirror or having another person check, if needed
• Trimming toenails carefully; do not cut cuticles or pop blisters
• Taking all precautions to avoid falls, as neuropathy can worsen balance or walking

“It is important for patients with diabetic foot neuropathy to be aware that nerve damage can make them unable to feel pain. Usually when someone injures or wounds their foot, the pain tells them to treat the cut so it can heal. With diabetic foot neuropathy, patients might not feel any pain when their feet get hurt, or even know they have a wound that may require treatment,” Dr. Tejera noted. “Problems that are not treated on time can worsen and lead to potential infections and open sores.

Nerve damage from diabetic foot neuropathy can lead to problems related to bones and muscles in the feet, eventually causing an abnormal shape to a patient’s foot.”

Most foot conditions like bunions, hammertoes, arthritis, and those associated with diabetes, tend to develop slowly over time and can become painful and chronic in nature.

“Bunions, hammertoes, arthritis, and flat feet, as well as certain fractures and dislocations, will typically require surgery to correct the problem. Wounds, and/or conditions related to diabetes require consistent monitoring and control of blood sugar to prevent progression and worsening of the problem,” Dr. Sabatini said.

“General ways people can care for their feet are by simply checking (or having someone else checking) their feet daily for the formation of new calluses, fissures, wounds, swelling, and discoloration. People with diabetes should be extra vigilant with daily foot exams, visiting their primary care provider and podiatrist regularly for physical exams and diabetic management,” he added.

To learn more about Dr. Sabatini, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/provider-directory/s/sabatini-jason; for Dr. Tejera, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/provider-directory/t/tejera-paul; for the Wound Care Center, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/services/wound-care.