Getting Fitted for Diabetic Shoes – If you have diabetes, it is crucial to have footwear that supports and cushions your feet. The best styles are those made specifically for your needs. Getting a professional shoe fitting for your diabetic shoes is one of the ways that you can be sure you are getting exactly what your feet require to stay healthy and pain free.
Diabetes and Your Feet
People with diabetes are more likely to suffer from a condition called peripheral neuropathy. This is caused by nerve damage and results in a loss of feeling in the limbs. When you are wearing shoes that fit you improperly, you put yourself at a higher risk of blisters, corns, calluses, and other types of open wounds. These wounds have the ability to become infected if not treated quickly. The trouble is, people with neuropathy often cannot feel when there is a problem. Checking your feet daily for sores or bruises is a good way to notice issues and get the treatment you need quickly, but wearing the right shoes may prevent a problem from occurring in the first place.
Getting Fitted
There are four main goals of good diabetic shoes and orthopedic shoes: relieving excessive pressure, reducing shock, accommodating and stabilizing deformities, and limiting joint motion. People with diabetes are susceptible to other foot conditions, such as ulcers (when the skin breaks down to form an open sore) or Charcot foot (when the arch collapses). If you have any of these additional problems, getting a fitting done by a professional is recommended. Many people will choose the wrong size shoes for their feet, because they don’t realize the correct size is too tight. Additionally, one foot may be a different size than the other. A shoe that fits correctly has a roomy toe box, space in the instep, and a snug fit in the heel. Wearing a shoe that laces is also preferred, as you can adjust the tightness depending on how your feet feel.
Diabetic Shoes
If you have diabetes, you may want to invest in more than one type of special shoe. In-depth shoes are just regular shoes, but with a little added room to accommodate custom-made orthotics or foot deformities. Healing shoes are typically worn during the healing stages after ulcer treatment or surgery. More rarely, custom-made shoes are designed using a mold of your foot. Also, modifications can be made to already existing shoes to allow for deformities. It is best to have a professional shoe fitting to get the correct fit. We can also create a custom-made orthotic to go inside your footwear to help correct any additional arch or deformity problems you may have. Using footwear and orthoses is a non-invasive way to remedy problems that may otherwise get worse over time.
When to Call a Doctor
If you have diabetes, it is very important to be under the regular care of a podiatrist. Only a doctor that specializes in the feet has the expertise to provide the special shoes and shoe inserts that will benefit you most. Call Dr. Mitchell Wachtel, podiatrist North Andover, today at 888-616-2512 to make an appointment in one of three conveniently located Massachusetts’s offices. We can help make sure your diabetes is being managed appropriately and get you the footwear you need to keep your feet healthy and in great condition.