MD Podiatrist Discusses Complications of Diabetes

For people living with diabetes, proper foot and ankle care isn’t just about comfort — it can be a matter of life and limb. “Diabetes can impact the lower extremity health by causing nerve damage and poor circulation that can lead to serious conditions such as non-healing wounds, infections, deformities, and eventually an amputation,” said Dan Michaels, DPM.

Even minor foot issues can escalate quickly in patients with diabetes. “Minor foot and ankle problems such as blisters, non-healing wounds, calluses or toe deformities in the presence of diabetic neuropathy (loss of sensation) or peripheral vascular disease (narrowing or blockage of blood vessels) can cause serious problems with limb-threatening events,” Dr. Michaels said. Common diabetic foot complications include neuropathy, poor circulation, chronic wounds, infections and deformities like Charcot neuroarthropathy — a condition that severely weakens foot bones.