Charcot Foot is a serious condition. It can lead to deformity, disability and amputation. The earlier Charcot Foot is diagnosed and treated the better outcomes a patient will experience. Charcot Foot cannot be cured and damage caused by Charcot Foot cannot be reversed.

Charcot Foot Acute Stage

Charcot Foot is often “staged” by physicians using three stages.  When in an “acute stage” a patient will likely experience significant swelling, the foot will be warm to the touch and will likely be red. Frequently, misdiagnosis occurs during the acute stage as the symptoms are mistaken for signs of infection. During the acute stage, significant damage can be done to the bone structure of the foot. If x-rays are done during this stage they will likely show fractures and dislocations.

Charcot Foot Subacute Stage

The second stage, known as the “subacute stage”, is characterized by healing. Patients will begin to see a decrease in swelling, redness will subside and the temperature of the foot will begin to return to normal. During this period the bones can still be damaged so it is important to remain non-weight bearing.

Charcot Foot Chronic Stage

Stage three is known as the cool phase or the “chronic stage”. During this period the foot should have minimal swelling, no redness and be of normal temperature. X-rays performed during this stage will show consolidation of the bone. During this stage, patients are considered stable. The foot is not worsening in condition but will not improve. It is important to remember each stage can occur more than once and can occur at varying times in either foot.

When first diagnosed with Charcot Foot you most likely headed straight to Google and searched for anything you could find on Charcot Foot. Chances are you came up with a lot of information about Charcot Marie-Tooth and not much information about Charcot Foot. The two conditions are often confused, so let me be clear, Charcot Foot and Charcot Marie-Tooth are two very different conditions. Charcot Marie-Tooth is an inherited neurological disorder while Charcot Foot is a condition causing weakening of the bones in the foot.