Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects more than sixty million Indians. Given the large size of this cohort, the care and management of diabetic patients is an immense medical challenge. The illness is diagnosed by sustained levels of high blood sugar and accompanied by a broad array of other metabolic disorders. Complications that may arise from diabetes include diabetic ketoacidosis, chronic kidney failure, stroke, damage to the nerves, damage to the eyes, heart disease and diabetic foot among others.

About two million people suffer from diabetic foot in India of which, sixty thousand patients are induced to undergo foot amputations every year. Diabetic foot is a chronic complication of diabetes caused by diabetic neuropathy and/or peripheral vascular disease. Hence, the development of shoes for diabetic patients is of the utmost importance. Diabetic shoes provide foot support to patients and help to minimize associated complications.

Some of the signs of the diabetic foot include ulceration, changes of the foot shape and skin color, yellowing of toenails, tenderness on and around the big toe, burning, tingling or pain of the foot, numbness and loss of foot sensation and blisters, sores and ulcers that have difficulty healing. Diabetic shoes can address some of the complications raised by diabetic foot.

One of the ways to manage the complications arising from diabetic foot is the selection of suitable diabetic shoes. Due to the diabetic neuropathy of the disease, patients may quickly develop  ulcers and other lesions within the space of a few hours. The shape of the feet of diabetic patients is changed due to diabetic neuropathy. Therefore, in order to meet the requirements of the patient and to be comfortable, diabetic shoes need to be carefully fitted by a qualified professional. The treatment should be prescribed by a physician and the shoes fitted by a qualified foot specialist, like a podiatrist or orthotist. Ideally, shoes should be equipped with removable orthoses. These include devices such as arch supports or shoe inserts and shoe fillers.

In summary, top tips in choosing diabetic shoes (also known as extra depth, therapeutic shoes or ‘sugar shoes’) should include looking for shoes that provide extra support to patients with numbness and loss of sensation in the feet, to select shoes that accommodate the changes in foot shape due to diabetic neuropathy and to also look for enhanced protection to the feet to prevent ulceration, blisters and sores.

Curafoot, a leader in podiatric care, provides a wide range of services aimed to diagnose and treat the complications associated with a diabetic foot. A primary service offered by the company is the design of shoes for diabetic patients. A host of specially certified doctors and healthcare professionals are eager to provide specially designed shoes and shoe inserts for diabetic patients.  Doctor consultations, diabetic foot assessment and providing shoes for diabetic patients are all just a phone call away. Specialist foot and ankle surgeons and podiatrists at Curafoot will provide treatment plans that will take the patient’s best interests into consideration and provide non-surgical treatment options like diabetic shoes wherever possible.