Diabetic Foot Pain: A Part of the Diabetes Dilemma

If you have diabetes, perhaps diabetic foot pain is one of the symptoms that you suffer from. This is common to both older diabetics and young ones. Since diabetes increases the risk of incurring foot problems, you are placed in a more difficult situation.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the most common source of diabetic foot pain. This is a nerve problem, wherein nerves are affected because of diabetes. Three types of this neuropathy are known to diabetics: motor, sensory, and automatic neuropathy.

Walking becomes a problem for diabetics. Because diabetes, specially one associated with neuropathy, weakens the lower extremities of patients, you may experience calluses and blisters. The best and most logical solution to diabetic foot pain is wearing the proper shoes.  Proper shoes for people with diabetes is helpful to the patient and can alleviate the painful condition.

Choosing the correct shoes for diabetics should become part of your diabetes continuing education. You must first seek a diabetic doctor (i.e. one who specializes on diabetes and disease management of diabetes) before purchasing diabetic shoes. Doctors will recommend shoes that put moderate pressure on your feet, less shock and shear, perfect fitting on your feet, and control in joint motion.

Remember that your diabetic shoes must not exert too much pressure on your feet because otherwise your feet will not only hurt, but will also incur calluses and ulcers. To relieve diabetic foot pain you may want to have shoes that can reduce swelling and reduce the downward and sideward pressure exerted on your feet when you walk.

Sidebar: The next article in this group is about choosing the right shoes for diabetics.

Diabetic foot pain may also be triggered by other factors such as depression. Diabetics are said to have twice the probability of suffering from sleep apnea than non-diabetics. Sleep apnea and diabetes therefore have been closely associated to each other by doctors.

How can sleep apnea cause foot pain? Well, sleep apnea can result in unwanted pounds, as many people with depression have the tendency to vent their frustrations by overeating. Such scenario will cause excessive weight gain that can cause foot pain.

This is why proper diet and exercise are very important for diabetics. Through the correct fitness training you will lose some pounds and thus diabetic foot pain will be mitigated as well.