Podiatrist

Foot pain, foot wounds, foot problems of any sort can be incredibly painful. Strangely, when foot problems begin they often seem like a small nuisance and they are easy to ignore. Over time the foot problems escalate and before you know it your feet can be in serious trouble. So when should you call the foot doctor?

Find a podiatrist

If you are diabetic you should be seeing a podiatrist at least once a year to have your feet checked. One of the best ways to prevent foot problems is practicing regular foot care, including seeing a podiatrist. If you don’t have a podiatrist near you, speak with your regular physician for a referral.

Once you have an established relationship with a podiatrist keep their number on speed dial. If you develop any foot wounds, notice changes in your toenails or feet, experience foot pain or notice a lack of feeling in your feet, call your foot doctor immediately.

Don’t delay, call the foot doctor today

If you have Charcot Foot it is important to never delay in treating foot problems. Letting what seems like a small problem go can lead to complications. Those complications can lead to deformity and even amputation. Jennifer, who shared her Charcot Foot experience with us in a previous post, says a close call with a foot wound reinforced to her the importance of calling her podiatrist at the first sign of problems.

Jennifer was wearing AFO braces at the time and noticed a bump on her foot. It was red and hard but had a darker center. She was planning to leave the state on a trip but was concerned by the wound. She thought about delaying and calling her foot doctor when she returned from the trip but reconsidered.

“I canceled the trip and went in,” Jennifer said. “My podiatrist opened it up and drained it. It was a blister with a callus over it. We treated it with antibiotics and kept it clean and it healed right up. I asked him if I could have waited to come in after the trip. He said if I would have it would have developed into a full blown ulcer.”

It is always better to call the doctor at the first sign of foot problems. Worst case scenario is a trip to the doctor for something minor. Most likely, a visit to the doctor will prevent a more serious complication down the road.

Reasons to call the foot doctor

There are many reasons you should contact your foot doctor, here are some common reasons you should place a call to your doctor.

Loss of sensation in the feet
Pain or numbness of any kind
Wounds on the feet
Blisters
Calluses
Swelling
Redness
Difficulty walking
Bony protrusions
New fractures
Loss of toenails

Remember, if you experience any changes or concerns with your feet you should contact your doctor. Even changes that are not included on the above list.

Regular foot care

Regular foot care will help prevent additional foot problems. When you have Charcot Foot it is important to check your feet each day. You should look for any new wounds and increased swelling or redness. It is a good idea to apply lotion each day to prevent dry skin and keep the skin moisturized. Atrac-Tain Superior Moisturizing Cream is our favorite. It keeps the skin hydrated and prevents wounds from developing as a result of dry skin.

In an effort to protect the feet you should never walk barefoot or without shoes. Make it a point to keep your feet protected to avoid further injury. Due to neuropathy you may not feel wounds developing so it is important to protect your feet and check them daily for injury.

Always remember to protect your feet, check them for wounds and call the foot doctor at the first sign of problems!

Everyone with Charcot Foot has a different experience but we can all learn something from one another. Today, Jennifer is sharing her experience of living with Charcot Foot. She was diagnosed with Charcot Foot on her 43rd birthday.

Charcot Foot Diagnosis

Jennifer had been experiencing neuropathy pain and numbness in her feet and legs for several years. She had also begun to have swelling in her feet. She and her doctor originally thought the swelling was a side effect of medication she was taking. She discontinued the medication but the swelling persisted. Just a week before her first fracture she hiked in the Catskills.

“I went hiking with this in the Catskills and didn’t know,” Jennifer said. “I knew I had an appointment with my endocrinologist in a week and thought I would bring it up to him.”

After returning from her trip she planned to see her doctor to discuss the continued swelling. Before she made it to the doctor for her appointment she fell on her stairs while taking her dogs out for a walk. X-rays showed she had a fractured left heel. At her three week follow up appointment the bone hadn’t begun to heel and she first heard the mention of Charcot Foot.

“I had the compression heal fracture and go back for the three week follow up and there is no healing and I thought that isn’t good,” Jennifer said. “And my podiatrist said I hope this isn’t Charcot.”

Not long after the first break she began to have problems with her right foot. Going non-weightbearing on her left foot put additional pressure on her right foot. It too began to fracture.

“For five weeks I went to work on crutches, drove my car, did everything,” Jennifer said. “Then on my birthday I went to work and to my doctor’s appointment and my right foot was very swollen and there was a bump in my arch. It was so swollen you couldn’t even tell it was the bone. I go for an x-ray and later that night he called me and told me to take the air cast off my left leg, put it on my right and get to an orthopedist. I didn’t even need him to say it, I knew from the way his voice sounded it was Charcot Foot.”

With both feet in the acute stage Jennifer had to go completely non-weightbearing for several months. She was eventually fitted for AFO braces on both legs which she wore for more than six months. She has now been able to transition back into tennis shoes with inserts.

Advocating for your medical care

Jennifer is a pro at advocating for her medical care, a skill she honed before her Charcot Foot diagnosis but one which has proven to be especially beneficial in dealing with Charcot. When originally diagnosed with Charcot Foot, Jennifer began meeting with a number of doctors, interviewing three before finding one she was comfortable with.

For her it was important to find a physician who was trained and competent in treating Charcot Foot. She wanted a doctor with a good bedside manner and one who wasn’t eager to do surgery. Once she found the right foot doctor she was able to develop a Charcot Foot treatment plan which worked for her.

Jennifer struggle with other health issues in conjunction with Charcot Foot. One way she continues to advocate for her medical care is by maintaining detailed records. Because she sees a number of physicians for different medical conditions she keeps copies of the records to quickly and easily share when she is at her various appointments. In regards to her Charcot Foot she always gets copies of her X-rays on a disc.

Some of her others tips for being a good advocate for yourself include:

Be the expert and learn everything you can about Charcot Foot or the condition you are being treated for.
Don’t rely on doctor’s to have all of the information. Remember you should know your body and condition best.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a second, or third or fourth opinion.
Ask questions, any and all questions.

Charcot Foot Treatment Options

One of the first doctors Jennifer met with recommended surgery during her first appointment. His quick desire to perform surgery left Jennifer concerned. She wanted to explore different Charcot Foot treatment options.

“He came in and I started asking him how much experience he had with Charcot and he didn’t really answer me,” Jennifer said. “He was very full of himself. I then asked him what are my options. He is now scheduling me for mid-foot fusion the next week. I was like, wait, you want to fuse my foot. First of all, I had all this swelling, fresh fractures, and my hemoglobin A1C was 10.6. He was going to cut into my diabetic foot with a 10.6.”

For her and many others with Charcot Foot surgery is not the right answer. There are many risks associated with surgery including additional injury, infection and amputation. At the end of the day surgery will not cure Charcot Foot so it was important to her to explore all the other options.

“These surgeries, fusions, external fixators, are only temporary fixes,” Jennifer says. “When you go into a surgery for the first time you need to know it is a very likely possibility it won’t work and all you are doing is now you are sitting longer and having to heal longer to only have more surgery. I feel like people think surgery is the answer to this and it’s not. I feel like people really need to understand surgery isn’t going to fix this. You aren’t going back to how you were before this happens. You still have Charcot.”

Jennifer did find a physician who was supportive of her and had a good understanding of Charcot Foot. Her physician recommended the following Charcot Foot treatment options.

Go non-weightbearing during the acute stage of her Charcot Foot
Wear AFO braces as prescribed
Wear custom inserts and appropriate shoes

Jennifer has been diligent with following her doctors orders. She says when she should be non-weightbearing, though it is difficult, she is completely compliant.

“When I’m non- weightbearing it’s non-negotiable,” Jennifer says. “If the doctor says to be non-weightbearing, I’m non-weightbearing.”

Moving forward

Currently, Jennifer’s feet are stable. She wore AFO braces for over six months and has now transitioned to tennis shoes with custom inserts. She isn’t naive and knows that it is likely she will have additional problems in the future. However, she tries to have fun and keep a sense of humor about the situation.

She has been able to go on vacation recently. Making visits to the pool and the beach have become a reality again. On St. Patrick’s Day she ventured out with friends for a pub crawl. She was nervous, as it was her first outing with braces, but says her friends checked in on her throughout the night to make sure she was doing okay.

“I am really lucky to have such a great support system,” Jennifer says.

Jennifer has mourned the loss of her beloved shoes. She now focuses her attention on enjoying fun socks and slippers. She recommends Happy Feet toe separator socks. They come in several colors and are fun but she says they also help tremendously with toe cramping.

With her feet currently stable Jennifer is enjoying the moment and taking the time to focus on some other health concerns. We appreciate her willingness to share her experiences with us. Jessie, Charlie and ” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Beth also have Charcot Foot experiences to share. If you would like to discuss your experiences with Charcot Foot contact us.

Someone call the foot doctor