In the course of a day, your feet take plenty of pounding. An average day of walking puts a force equal to several hundred tons of pressure on your feet, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. That's a big burden for the 26 small bones and hundred-plus tiny muscles and tendons that do all this work. That's why your feet are more subject to injury than any other part of your body. If your foot concern is sore, calloused, cracked heels, then your feet need a little pampering.
If you don’t moisturize your feet in the winter months you will end up with red, cracked, painful skin. This is a problem for many people because your feet sweat daily and all the extra moisture you have is removed. By not moisturizing your feet on a daily basis especially in the winter months you leave your feet vulnerable to crack which in turn leaves you exposed to infection.
“To treat your already sore, calloused, cracked feet, use a thick moisturizer that contains petrolatum, glycerin, or dimethicone to lock in moisture and decrease transepidermal water loss." says Dr. Benjamin Weaver. We recommend Gormel Cream for non-diabetics and Amerigel for diabetics. Be sure to avoid putting any type of moisturizer between your toes. The toes already hold plenty of moisture between them. Too much moisture is just as bad as not enough. Don’t forget to address the calluses on the bottom of the foot which can also cause the foot to crack. We recommend applying Calcylic Cream after you use the pumi bar in the shower. Apply just a small dab to your calluses on the ball of the foot, toes and heels. This will help to soften the skin and in turn the callous will not be so rough and painful.
If your feet are sore and tired help by elevating them at least 6 inches above your heart. Besides reducing the swelling you are helping to reduce the pain and tiredness of your feet. When you’re in the shower using a pumi bar will also help because you are removing the dried old skin from your feet. Your feet will feel energized again and not be as tired and sore. We sell a pumi bar in our office that dissolves itself as you use it. The primary reason you want a pumi bar over a pumi stone is simple. A pumi stone looses the grit the more you use it. After time you will rub harder trying to get your soft feet but what you end up doing is tearing up good skin. The goal behind using a pumi bar is to not create more calluses. By using a pumi bar in the shower, applying a small dab of Calyclic Cream to your calluses once your feet are thoroughly dried and using Gormel or Amerigel Lotion to your feet afterwards, you will help your feet to relax and decompress.
Showing posts with label diabetic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diabetic. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
What Is Peripheral Artery Disease?
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can sometimes go undetected, so it's important to know the symptoms. Plus, learn about the possible complications of PAD and how the condition is treated.
Restricted blood flow anywhere in your body can be a serious health problem that can ultimately affect your heart. When blood flow to the legs is reduced, the condition is called peripheral artery disease, or PAD, explains Joshua A. Beckman, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become hardened due to the build-up of plaque (cholesterol and other fatty substances) — a condition called atherosclerosis.
Who Develops PAD
"PAD often develops in people who smoke or have diabetes," says Dr. Beckman. In addition, it is commonly found in people who are between the ages of 50 and 69. In people above the age of 65, approximately 20 percent of men and 16 percent of women have PAD.
Other risk factors for PAD include:
Having high blood pressure
Having high cholesterol
Having a history of heart disease
Undergoing hemodialysis to treat kidney disease
Having had a stroke
"About half of the people who have PAD do not have specific symptoms and have no way to know they have the disease," says Beckman. "Of the half that do have symptoms, the majority describe feeling discomfort in an area like the calf, hip or thigh while walking."
If you have any of the risk factors for PAD, you should ask your doctor about PAD even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms. Your doctor can still diagnose PAD through one or more tests.
Signs of PAD
The pain people with PAD experience while walking is called intermittent claudication. You may feel a burning, aching, heaviness, or leaden feeling because the exercising muscle is demanding more blood than can be delivered due to poor blood flow in the legs. "The discomfort occurs only with walking and is typically relieved with a few minutes of rest," says Beckman.
It can be easy to discount this pain as arthritis, a result of aging, or an injury from exercise. But if you continue to notice these symptoms when you walk, and they stop when you rest, PAD could be the reason.
When PAD worsens and blood flow is severely restricted, the feet and legs may be painful even without exercise.
Risks of Untreated PAD
Untreated PAD can lead to heart attack or stroke. People with untreated PAD are six to seven times more likely to experience heart attack or stroke than those without the disease. Beckman estimates that the risk of death in those with untreated PAD is 15 to 30 percent over five years.
Amputation is also a risk of untreated PAD, though it isn't common in either people who do not experience PAD symptoms or in those who experience intermittent pain. But between 1 and 2 percent of people with PAD may either experience severe pain in their legs while resting, a wound on their foot that won't heal, or even gangrene, says Beckman. Then amputation is a more serious threat unless action is taken.
Treating PAD
Treatment for PAD usually entails a combination of prescribed medication and a healthier lifestyle to manage atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and improve blood flow in your legs.
Here are steps your doctor may recommend to treat and manage PAD:
Quit smoking
Take medications to manage contributing health problems, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Take anti-clotting medications to prevent blood clots
Walk and get other exercise frequently
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
Eat a healthy diet of low-cholesterol, low-fat, and low-calorie foods
In some cases, blockages in the legs may need to be opened up with a catheter in a procedure called angioplasty and propped open with a small tube called a stent. In cases of severe PAD, bypass surgery may be needed to reroute blood flow in the legs.
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Restricted blood flow anywhere in your body can be a serious health problem that can ultimately affect your heart. When blood flow to the legs is reduced, the condition is called peripheral artery disease, or PAD, explains Joshua A. Beckman, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. PAD occurs when arteries in the legs become hardened due to the build-up of plaque (cholesterol and other fatty substances) — a condition called atherosclerosis.
Who Develops PAD
"PAD often develops in people who smoke or have diabetes," says Dr. Beckman. In addition, it is commonly found in people who are between the ages of 50 and 69. In people above the age of 65, approximately 20 percent of men and 16 percent of women have PAD.
Other risk factors for PAD include:
Having high blood pressure
Having high cholesterol
Having a history of heart disease
Undergoing hemodialysis to treat kidney disease
Having had a stroke
"About half of the people who have PAD do not have specific symptoms and have no way to know they have the disease," says Beckman. "Of the half that do have symptoms, the majority describe feeling discomfort in an area like the calf, hip or thigh while walking."
If you have any of the risk factors for PAD, you should ask your doctor about PAD even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms. Your doctor can still diagnose PAD through one or more tests.
Signs of PAD
The pain people with PAD experience while walking is called intermittent claudication. You may feel a burning, aching, heaviness, or leaden feeling because the exercising muscle is demanding more blood than can be delivered due to poor blood flow in the legs. "The discomfort occurs only with walking and is typically relieved with a few minutes of rest," says Beckman.
It can be easy to discount this pain as arthritis, a result of aging, or an injury from exercise. But if you continue to notice these symptoms when you walk, and they stop when you rest, PAD could be the reason.
When PAD worsens and blood flow is severely restricted, the feet and legs may be painful even without exercise.
Risks of Untreated PAD
Untreated PAD can lead to heart attack or stroke. People with untreated PAD are six to seven times more likely to experience heart attack or stroke than those without the disease. Beckman estimates that the risk of death in those with untreated PAD is 15 to 30 percent over five years.
Amputation is also a risk of untreated PAD, though it isn't common in either people who do not experience PAD symptoms or in those who experience intermittent pain. But between 1 and 2 percent of people with PAD may either experience severe pain in their legs while resting, a wound on their foot that won't heal, or even gangrene, says Beckman. Then amputation is a more serious threat unless action is taken.
Treating PAD
Treatment for PAD usually entails a combination of prescribed medication and a healthier lifestyle to manage atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and improve blood flow in your legs.
Here are steps your doctor may recommend to treat and manage PAD:
Quit smoking
Take medications to manage contributing health problems, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Take anti-clotting medications to prevent blood clots
Walk and get other exercise frequently
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
Eat a healthy diet of low-cholesterol, low-fat, and low-calorie foods
In some cases, blockages in the legs may need to be opened up with a catheter in a procedure called angioplasty and propped open with a small tube called a stent. In cases of severe PAD, bypass surgery may be needed to reroute blood flow in the legs.
By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Does Medicare Cover Therapeutic Shoes?
Yes, Medicare will cover the cost of one pair of therapeutic shoes (diabetic shoes) and inserts for people with diabetes if you have a medical need for them. The Medicare payment for therapeutic shoes is subject to the requirement that they are necessary and reasonable for protection of insensitive feet or neuropathy (nerve damage in the feet). To ensure that Medicare pays for your shoes, you must follow the steps below:
Your treating doctor must complete a certificate of medical necessity for the therapeutic shoes and document the need in your medical records. So, do not order anything until you have visited your doctor - no matter what the sales person tells you.
The shoes and inserts must be prescribed by a podiatrist or other qualified doctor and provided by a podiatrist, orthotist, prosthetist, or pedorthist.
The supplier must receive the order before Medicare is billed and must keep it on file.
If you receive your Medicare through a Medicare Advantage Plan (like a HMO, PPO) it is likely you will have to follow the plan's steps for approval and purchase. Make a point of calling your plan's customer service number and ask about their steps for coverage of diabetic shoes.
Medicare will cover one of the following per calendar year:
One pair of depth-inlay shoes and three pairs of inserts or;
One pair of custom molded shoes (including inserts) and two additional pairs of inserts. This option is only available if you cannot wear depth-inlay shoes due to a foot deformity.
In certain cases, Medicare may also cover separate inserts or shoe modifications instead of inserts.
Medicare will not cover deluxe features: A deluxe feature is one that does not contribute to the shoe's therapeutic function - for example, a custom style, color or custom material.
Your treating doctor must complete a certificate of medical necessity for the therapeutic shoes and document the need in your medical records. So, do not order anything until you have visited your doctor - no matter what the sales person tells you.
The shoes and inserts must be prescribed by a podiatrist or other qualified doctor and provided by a podiatrist, orthotist, prosthetist, or pedorthist.
The supplier must receive the order before Medicare is billed and must keep it on file.
If you receive your Medicare through a Medicare Advantage Plan (like a HMO, PPO) it is likely you will have to follow the plan's steps for approval and purchase. Make a point of calling your plan's customer service number and ask about their steps for coverage of diabetic shoes.
Medicare will cover one of the following per calendar year:
One pair of depth-inlay shoes and three pairs of inserts or;
One pair of custom molded shoes (including inserts) and two additional pairs of inserts. This option is only available if you cannot wear depth-inlay shoes due to a foot deformity.
In certain cases, Medicare may also cover separate inserts or shoe modifications instead of inserts.
Medicare will not cover deluxe features: A deluxe feature is one that does not contribute to the shoe's therapeutic function - for example, a custom style, color or custom material.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Are You Diabetic and Want Something Healthy To Eat?
Healthy Recipes for those who are diabetic.
Tiny Broccoli Quiches Recipe
Quick Info:
Servings
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Dairy
Contains Egg
Vegetarian
Diabetes-Friendly
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 123, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 179mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 7g, Carbs: 9g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Protein: 3g
Exchanges: Starch: 0.5, Lean Meat: 0.5, Fat: 1
Carb Choices: 0.5
Recipe Source:
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 1 h 10 mins
Ingredients
• 11 ounce(s) piecrust mix (for 2-crust pie)
• 5 ounce(s) broccoli, frozen chopped
• 3/4 cup(s) cheese, Swiss, shredded
• 1 cup(s) milk, fat-free
• 1/2 cup(s) refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoon dill, snipped or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat thirty-six 1 3/4-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare piecrust mix according to package directions. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Reroll scraps, cutting additional circles. Line each muffin cup with a pastry circle.
3. Pat broccoli dry with paper towels. Divide broccoli and cheese evenly among pastry-lined muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine milk, egg product, dill, and salt; spoon about 2 teaspoons of the milk mixture into each muffin cup.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Loosen and remove from pans. Serve warm.
Tiny Broccoli Quiches Recipe
Quick Info:
Servings
Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Dairy
Contains Egg
Vegetarian
Diabetes-Friendly
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 123, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 179mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 7g, Carbs: 9g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Protein: 3g
Exchanges: Starch: 0.5, Lean Meat: 0.5, Fat: 1
Carb Choices: 0.5
Recipe Source:
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 1 h 10 mins
Ingredients
• 11 ounce(s) piecrust mix (for 2-crust pie)
• 5 ounce(s) broccoli, frozen chopped
• 3/4 cup(s) cheese, Swiss, shredded
• 1 cup(s) milk, fat-free
• 1/2 cup(s) refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoon dill, snipped or 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat thirty-six 1 3/4-inch muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare piecrust mix according to package directions. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Reroll scraps, cutting additional circles. Line each muffin cup with a pastry circle.
3. Pat broccoli dry with paper towels. Divide broccoli and cheese evenly among pastry-lined muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine milk, egg product, dill, and salt; spoon about 2 teaspoons of the milk mixture into each muffin cup.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Loosen and remove from pans. Serve warm.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Numb toes and diabetes warning sign
It is very important to realize that numb toes are a serious sign of diabetic neuropathy. This clearly means that the nerves of the feet are being damaged. This is a serious warning that must not be ignored. If this is not treated you can lose your feet. Many have had their feet cut off due to this problem. Numb toes are a warning that the diabetic or person with high blood glucose is losing the fight.
It is important to recognize that time is critical to the diabetic. Those who wait lose the body. The cause of the problem of numb toes is that the blood circulation is being cut off and this is something that you do not want. As the blood vessels and nerves become overtaken by the blood glucose poison the numbness in the feet come in. As the diabetic waits the vessels and nerves are overcome and lose.
Diabetes is a poison hign blood glucose that destroys the body. The typical diabetes diet of sugar free cannot stop the damage to the toes and fingers. Only a specialized diabetes foot diet can reverse the nerve damage. Diabetes is increasing worldwide with millions losing the battle to this illness.
A diabetic must realize that a common sugar free diet is not enough to reverse the problems of diabetic feet and toes. Never wait to find a reverse diabetes diet.
It is important to recognize that time is critical to the diabetic. Those who wait lose the body. The cause of the problem of numb toes is that the blood circulation is being cut off and this is something that you do not want. As the blood vessels and nerves become overtaken by the blood glucose poison the numbness in the feet come in. As the diabetic waits the vessels and nerves are overcome and lose.
Diabetes is a poison hign blood glucose that destroys the body. The typical diabetes diet of sugar free cannot stop the damage to the toes and fingers. Only a specialized diabetes foot diet can reverse the nerve damage. Diabetes is increasing worldwide with millions losing the battle to this illness.
A diabetic must realize that a common sugar free diet is not enough to reverse the problems of diabetic feet and toes. Never wait to find a reverse diabetes diet.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
HbA1clevels correlate strongly to future diabetes, cardiovascular risk
An ancillary study to the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study supports the most recent (2010) ADA risk categories of hemoglobin (Hb) A1c in identifying future risk of developing diabetes and macrovascular and microvascular disease. The data were presented by Elizabeth Selvin, PhD.
The ADA now recommends the use of HbA1c for the diagnosis of diabetes and identification of persons at increased risk for diabetes. The ADA defines an HbA1c of 5.7% to less than 6.5% as “high risk” for the future development of diabetes.
In this analysis, 11,092 participants from ARIC, a large community-based epidemiologic study, without cardiovascular disease or diabetes at baseline had HbA1c measured from stored whole blood samples obtained between 1990 and 1992. Participants were followed for 15 years.
“In individuals with an A1c of 5.7% to less than 6.5%, which is the group identified as high risk for the development of diabetes and other complications, we see a very high risk of the subsequent development of diabetes. We can also see that individuals in that range are at risk for kidney disease, CHD [coronary heart disease], and stroke,” said Selvin, assistant professor of epidemiology and medicine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Compared with the reference population with an HbA1c level of 5% to less than 5.7%, those in the high-risk category of 5.7% to less than 6.5% had more than triple the risk of diagnosed diabetes, a 60% increase in the risk of CHD, a 56% increase in the risk of stroke, a 62% increased risk of end-stage renal disease, and a 42% increase in all-cause mortality, all adjusted for age, sex, race, and other potential confounders.
These risks were even greater in the cohort with HbA1c levels of 6.5% or greater at baseline.
“The vast majority of individuals with HbA1c greater than 6.5% will subsequently be diagnosed with diabetes during follow-up, and they’re at very high risk of kidney disease and have almost 4 times the risk of developing end-stage renal disease compared to those people in the normal range, and a 2-fold increased risk of developing CHD or stroke or dying during follow-up,” she said.
More than 20% of the group with HbA1c values of 5.7% to less than 6.5% and almost 80% of those with values of 6.5% or greater developed diabetes within 10 years.
The ADA now recommends the use of HbA1c for the diagnosis of diabetes and identification of persons at increased risk for diabetes. The ADA defines an HbA1c of 5.7% to less than 6.5% as “high risk” for the future development of diabetes.
In this analysis, 11,092 participants from ARIC, a large community-based epidemiologic study, without cardiovascular disease or diabetes at baseline had HbA1c measured from stored whole blood samples obtained between 1990 and 1992. Participants were followed for 15 years.
“In individuals with an A1c of 5.7% to less than 6.5%, which is the group identified as high risk for the development of diabetes and other complications, we see a very high risk of the subsequent development of diabetes. We can also see that individuals in that range are at risk for kidney disease, CHD [coronary heart disease], and stroke,” said Selvin, assistant professor of epidemiology and medicine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Compared with the reference population with an HbA1c level of 5% to less than 5.7%, those in the high-risk category of 5.7% to less than 6.5% had more than triple the risk of diagnosed diabetes, a 60% increase in the risk of CHD, a 56% increase in the risk of stroke, a 62% increased risk of end-stage renal disease, and a 42% increase in all-cause mortality, all adjusted for age, sex, race, and other potential confounders.
These risks were even greater in the cohort with HbA1c levels of 6.5% or greater at baseline.
“The vast majority of individuals with HbA1c greater than 6.5% will subsequently be diagnosed with diabetes during follow-up, and they’re at very high risk of kidney disease and have almost 4 times the risk of developing end-stage renal disease compared to those people in the normal range, and a 2-fold increased risk of developing CHD or stroke or dying during follow-up,” she said.
More than 20% of the group with HbA1c values of 5.7% to less than 6.5% and almost 80% of those with values of 6.5% or greater developed diabetes within 10 years.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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.
Monday, March 8, 2010
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!
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