Diabetes-Related Foot Conditions

Diabetic Foot Care at UVM Health

Diabetes can cause many health complications, including foot problems. Over time, uncontrolled blood sugar can damage your blood vessels and nerves, including those in your feet.

This damage can lead to loss of sensation and foot wounds that won’t heal. Diabetes-related foot conditions can severely interfere with your quality of life and increase your risk of limb loss.

Why Choose UVM Health?

At University of Vermont Health, you have access to a specialized team of experts providing leading-edge diabetic foot care. We offer treatments that help promote wound healing to lower your risk of complications and protect your feet. Our foot and ankle surgeons, podiatrists and specially trained advanced practice providers care for you with skill and compassion.

As one of the leading orthopedic programs in the region, we offer:

Full-spectrum services: Our team provides the entire range of care options for people with diabetes-related foot problems. From nail care clinics to total contact casting and limb salvage techniques, we offer a full range of services to manage foot complications and protect your feet.
Collaborative care: Every specialist you need to help manage your diabetes is available within UVM Health. Our team works with vascular surgeons, endocrinologists, plastic surgeons and infectious disease specialists as needed. This comprehensive treatment approach lowers your risk of complications, such as amputation.
Research emphasis: As part of a health system anchored by an academic medical center, our physicians are active researchers at the forefront of research into foot and ankle care.

Exceptional Care

How to Examine Your Feet

Stephen Merena, DPM, podiatrist at University of Vermont Medical Center, explains and shows how diabetic patients can perform self-exams on their feet.

Types of Diabetes-Related Foot Problems

Diabetes increases your risk of nerve damage and problems with blood flow. You can experience these issues in any part of your body, but they’re most common in your feet. Diabetes-related foot complications can include:

Ankle or foot fractures: Often with little or no pain due to decreased sensation in the feet as a result of diabetes
Neuropathy: Nerve damage that can cause pain, tingling and loss of sensation in your feet
Peripheral artery disease: Blocked blood vessels in your legs that restrict blood flow
Ulcers: Open wounds that can be difficult to heal

Signs of Diabetes-Related Foot Conditions

If you have diabetes, you should check your feet every day for skin changes like wounds, blisters or calluses. Our specialists can help you understand when your feet should be evaluated by a health care. You may need to visit a specialist if you notice:

Changes in skin color
Cuts, calluses or sores
Lack of hair growth on your feet
Numbness or tingling
Redness or swelling
Reduced ability to feel cold or heat

Diagnosing Diabetes-Related Foot Conditions

To diagnose a diabetic foot problem, your provider will ask you about your symptoms and your diabetes care. They’ll want to know how well you manage your blood sugar, when your symptoms started and how they’ve progressed. They’ll also examine your feet, toes and legs to look for signs of a problem.

If you have an open wound, they may order tests such as:

Wound culture or tissue biopsy to test wound discharge for infection
X-rays or MRIs to get a closer look at your bones and soft tissues

Treatment for Diabetic Foot Complications

Our team offers the entire spectrum of treatments for diabetes-related foot complications. We prioritize nonsurgical and limb-sparing treatments, only offering surgery when it’s the most effective option. Your diabetes foot care plan may include:

Nail Care and Skin Checks

Our providers offer nail care clinics where they trim toenails and perform skin checks to look for signs of new or worsening foot problems, such as thickened, yellowish nails and ingrown toenails.

Debridement

Debridement is a treatment to remove infected or diseased tissue from your foot. This can help relieve pressure on a wound and speed up healing. Debridement is performed in-office and you can return home the same day.