Off-Loading Critical to Healing DFUs: MD Podiatrist

Daniel Michaels, DPM, has treated just about every foot problem imaginable, including the special problems diabetics face with foot diseases and disorders. “Diabetics are more at risk of developing severe foot problems than the general population, so it’s very important that they pay close attention to their feet,” Dr. Michaels said.” “A lot of what we see with diabetics starts with something as simple as a callus. Callus formations in a diabetic are more problematic because they may have vascular problems or they have neuropathy where they can’t feel their feet as well as they should. Where a non-diabetic will have a callus and feel pain, the diabetic may not feel the pain and continue to ambulate until the callus progresses to a more severe problem like an ulceration.”
 
 
“One of the most important things doctors do to get diabetic wounds to heal is off-load the patient by utilizing a boot or surgical shoe to take the weight off the affected area. You can put a wound care product on the affected area, but if someone is putting a lot of weight on it, an ulcer or other wound will not heal. By getting the pressure off, the wound will heal quicker,” says Dr. Michaels.