Diabetes, complications and solutions in Chiropody/Podiatry care - Essay Example

In many cases, Type 2 diabetes is linked with overweight people. (Diabetes UK, 2006) Diabetic patients are at high-risk of foot problems like foot ulcers, ankle injuries, bone spur, dropped metatarsals, corns and callouses, fungus nails, foreign body in the foot, ganglion, haglund deformity, ingrown toenails, plantar fasciitis, etc. The loss of nerve conduction in the lower extremity of a diabetic person – also known as ‘neuropathy’ or a decline in nerve functions is usually the main cause of frequent injury or external attacks in foot ulcers or wound.

Damage in the muscles, poor circulation, and a decreased resistance to infections makes the wound in diabetic people not easy to heal. In special cases, foot deformity plays a major role in causing ulceration and infection on the lower extremities of diabetic patients with neuropathy. There are many causes of foot and leg problems. These are: neurotrophic – the classical plantar or mal perforans ulcer of diabetes; venous insufficiency; atherosclerotic disease; vasculitis or collagen disease; vasospastic or Raynaud’s disease, and hematologic like sickle cell anemia.

For a chiropodist to be able to apply proper care and treatment, he/she must be able to distinguish and determine the differences between In a patient diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, the location of the ulceration is typically found in weight-bearing areas of the foot particularly over the metatarsal heads, heels and toes. The ulceration is usually small but may increase its size due to external causing trauma and/or infections. If left untreated, it may result to osteomyelitis. Usually, there is a ‘hypertrophic’ callus that surrounds the ulcer area.

Skin temperature may also vary. For example, if there is a severe vascular insufficiency, skin temperature may be normal or cool. On the other hand, infected ulceration makes the skin feel warm and is visually red in colour. A poor treatment on infected ulcers could result to amputation