Foot Care – What are Foot Pain Treatments? | Treatments For Foot Pain | Foot Pain Treatments
There is no cure for diabetic foot pain that is caused by diabetic neuropahties but there are things you can do help lessen the affect. The most important factor seems to be blood glucose levels. Higher levels will cause more damage and thus bring on the symptoms that much sooner. By controlling your blood glucose levels as instructed by your physician you can live a much more normal life without diabetic foot problems.
Diabetes tingling is also associated with this condition as is diabetes numbness. Again both of these are a direct result of the blood glucose levels being out of the safe range and you must be always vigilant about using your medications that your doctor prescribes.
The first step to treating diabetes foot pain is to keep your blood glucose levels under control at all times. Meal planning, consistent blood glucose monitoring, physical activity and proper diabetes medications including insulin can all go a long way toward relieving the pain associated with the nerve damage. If you are suffering from this disease then your doctor should have given you information covering all of these areas. Follow his or her directions or you may be faced one day with pain that you have no control over.
There are a lot of great resources on the web for people who have diabetes that will help to explain the disease and what you can do to treat it. This information should never be used as a substitute for your doctor’s advice. But the more you know about diabetes pain relief the better you will be able to deal with the problems and also control your behaviors that may have an effect on how much pain you feel.
When you first begin to notice discomfort or pain in the area, you can treat yourself with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Over-the-counter medications may also be used to reduce discomfort and pain.
Rest will allow the tissues to heal by preventing any further stress to the affected area. Crutches should be used if you have difficulty putting weight on the foot. Appropriate use of commercially-available ankle and foot supports may provide rest, comfort, and support to the affected area.
Ice should be applied no longer than 20 minutes. The ice may be put in a plastic bag or wrapped in a towel. Commercial ice packs are not recommended because they are usually too cold. If extreme discomfort occurs, icing should discontinue immediately.
Compression and elevation will help prevent any swelling of the affected tissues.
There are two types of over-the-counter medications that may help with the pain and swelling of foot pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) will help reduce the pain, while a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen will help lessen the pain and as well as reduce the inflammatory response. Caution should be taken when using these drugs as dosage should not exceed the labeled directions.
Blisters occur as a result of chaffing. These “hot spots” should be attended to immediately with padding or friction reducers. If these spots progress to a blister and are unbroken, the doctor can drain them by puncturing from the side with a clean needle, and drained, the skin will act as a natural bandage and should not be trimmed away. If the skin over the blister is broken, the loose skin should be peeled back and the area should be treated as an open wound. Blisters should be covered and padded before returning to activity; in simple cases, a Band-Aid may solve the problem. If the blister is bigger, donut pads, gel pads, or commercially-available blister pads may be more appropriate.
1. Wear comfortable, properly fitting shoes. They should have good arch support and cushioning.
2. Wear shoes with adequate room around the ball of your foot and toe.
3. Wear sneakers as often as possible, especially when walking.
4. Avoid narrow-toed shoes and high heels.
If you are suffering from painful corns or hammertoes, there are many treatments that a podiatrist can offer you. Make sure to see a podiatrist as soon as possible. There are, however, some simple home treatments for corns and hammertoes that you can do on your own. Here are our self treatment solutions for hammertoes and corns. You can purchase the recommended items by clicking on them:
Use a Silicone Crest Pad. These pads go in the sulcus of your toes and act to straighten your toes and act to straighten your toes while you wear them. Soft Silicone Gel will not bottom out like foam and the reinforced toe loop increases durability.
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