Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Exam

The American Diabetes Association's "2010 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" statement on diabetic foot care and the newly established Physician Quality Reporting Initative (PQRI) for the treatment of feet of patients with diabetes now requires an annual comprehensive diabetic foot examination to assess all lower extremity risk factors. We are requesting all of our patients with diabetes to schedule a Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Exam (CDFE) appointment if you have not already done so. This appointment should only take about 15 minutes of your time and will allow us to perform the necessary testing and examination to meet this new requirement. The exam may include the treatment of your nails, calluses, or corns.

THANK YOU Father H and Setter Foundation...

Your VERY GENEROUS $1000 donation has helped start CKPA Sock Tree 2010 on its way!! We are able to purchase several hundred pairs of brand new socks for all ages. We are asking everyone that has brand new socks that you may have laying around, or got for your Birthday, Christmas or just because to please donate them to CKPA Sock Tree 2010. Please donate them to US because we have many people right here in Wichita who need these socks. Our goal is 5000 pairs of socks to accompany every pair of shoes we give to charity. Come by and hang your BRAND NEW SOCKS on CKPA Sock Tree. We have decided to start 2010 on the right foot and what better way then with socks. All you have to do is bring us your new socks to our office at 933 N. Topeka. You can pick where you would like to hang the socks or we can do it for you. We welcome single pairs of socks and bulk packages. The socks can be your choice of style, color and age group but please just bring those brand new socks to us.

Mildred discusses Kansas Podiatrist Dr. Weaver's Diabetic Foot Care

Mildred has had lots of foot problems due to diabetes. She wanted you to know how great Dr. Ben Weaver's care has been. Take a look!

Foot Pain.…Make it STOP!!

Patients often ask, “How much pain will I have after surgery?” This is a very difficult question to answer because everyone experiences pain differently. This also makes testing someone for pain difficult. Everyone experiences pain at different levels and have different thresholds for tolerating pain. Pain is often difficult to locate. When our bodies experience a pain, it sends the signal through our brain through nerve fibers. Small nerve fibers called delta fibers send 90% of the pain signals to the brain to specific locations in the cortex of the brain. Testing these fibers shows us where the pain is coming from. Small nerve fiber testing is a painless test that can show where the pain is coming from in about 20 minutes. An EMG tests for nerve damage. Pain occurs before the nerve is damaged. By testing the small nerve fibers, it locates accurately with 95% sensitivity where the pain is before there is permanent damage. This leads to earlier and more effective treatment. If you are experiencing pain that is not responding to traditional treatment, consult with your physician to see if you are a candidate for small nerve fiber testing.

The Superbowl is Over. Your Next Stop…Podiatrist!

Now that you have seen the Superbowl, eaten chips, hot wings, pepperoni and cheese platter, where are you going now? To the podiatrist!!!

Some people, more often men, will experience terrible pain after a rich and high protein diet. This diet can consist of shellfish, oily fish, beef, pork, organ meats, cheese, and alcohol. The pain is usually in the big toe joint but it can be present throughout the lower extremity. This is a condition known as gout.
Gout is a systemic condition that patients will acquire after eating a rich diet consisting of proteins. Alcohol can precipitate a gouty attack. Even some medications can cause this painful condition.

This condition is cause by an elevation of uric acid, which is a by-product of protein breakdown. This “by-product” can precipitate in cold joints like the big toe joint, ankles, knees, elbows, and ear lobes. It analogous to pouring sugar into cold water and the sugar does not dissolve. Well, the uric acids are crystals that can invade the big toe joint and the body will react to it like a foreign body. By the same token, the joint will become very hot and swollen. Also, it will become very painful to the point that bed sheets cannot be tolerated.

The patient usually presents in the office with a severe limp and pain. Upon examination, the toe joint cannot be touched. Some patients will say they injured it with no recollection of trauma. Also, some will say it is an infection. An x-ray is taken to make sure there is no trauma or infection.

Treatments for this condition are oral and injectible steroids, aspiration of the joint fluid for lab analysis for gout. In addition, blood work is a good diagnostic indicator for uric acid levels; however, this should be done within the first 24 hours of the attack. Oral medications are used for the acute gouty attack and anti-inflammatory or pain medications. Recommendations are for follow-up with the primary care doctor for medications to prevent reoccurrence.

Elevated uric acid levels do not cause gout but can initiate the processes. Many patients will go untreated and this is bad. The crystals can cause “tophi” which are crystals that will present beneath the skin like a cheesy substance and this can present everywhere. Also, gout can cause kidney stones and cause damage. Gout should be addressed by a podiatrist for acute symptoms and the family doctor for systemic symptoms. The systemic symptoms can be genetic where the factor or enzyme that breaks the uric acid down may be missing.

So, if you get that severe pain after that seafood, beefy treat and then washing it all down with a cold brewski, chances are it is GOUT.