It’s National Diabetes Awareness Month in November, and communities across the country are working together to raise awareness about the disease.

According to Diabetes Canada, over one third of Canada’s population is living with diabetes or prediabetes. Managing your blood glucose can help prevent many other health problems that can often occur as a direct result of uncontrolled diabetes.

Diabetes can affect almost every part of your body.

Common diabetes complications include,

How can diabetes affect the feet?

When blood sugar is elevated, internal organs are more susceptible to damage and the risk for complications involving the feet is more likely. The lower legs and feet are particularly at risk as they are farther away from the body’s core. Before a person even knows they have diabetes, they may start to experience pins and needles in the toes and feet, this is known as peripheral neuropathy and can result from uncontrolled diabetes. It impairs your ability to sense an injury or your protective sensation. In other words, if you step on something sharp or if your shoe is causing a blister, you may not be able to sense something is wrong. As a result, skin can break down.

Diabetes can also negatively affect blood circulation. The small blood vessels in the feet can be affected by excess sugar circulating in the blood. Less than optimal blood flow can affect a person’s ability to heal from even minor cuts and scrapes. Additionally, if the immune system is compromised, untreated skin breakdown and wounds can lead to infections, amputation and can even be life-threatening. The nails and skin of the feet are at risk for infections such as fungal toenails or cellulitis. These issues require prompt and proper care to reduce the chance of further complications.

Preventing complications takes a team!

If you have diabetes, it is imperative to stay in regular contact with your Family Doctor or Nurse Practitioner and possibly an Endocrinologist, to make sure your blood sugar is under control and your overall health is monitored.  Part of your diabetes care team includes the Medical Footcare Team at BioPed. BioPed clinics are made up of multidisciplinary teams of lower limb clinicians who share a common goal. Certified Pedorthists, Registered Chiropodists and Footcare Nurses all strive to improve the health and comfort of their clients by working together with them and the rest of their diabetes care team to prevent diabetes-associated complications.

Having consistent and regular footcare by one of our Registered Chiropodists or Footcare Nurses will keep your skin and nails in good shape and address any issues that may arise. Your BioPed team will spend time with you to ensure you know what to look for and how you can monitor your feet at home.  They will discuss effective and beneficial treatment options catered to you and your lifestyle. If you have pain or discomfort in your feet, BioPed’s Certified Pedorthists and Registered Chiropodists can assess your lower body mechanics, including the way you walk. You may benefit from custom foot orthotics that will offload high pressure areas on your feet and new footwear that fits you well and is appropriate for you and your activities of daily life.

Call us today, we are looking forward to seeing you!

If you’re suffering from lower limb pain that limits you from doing what you love, please book an appointment with a BioPed Clinician to see how we can keep your feet and legs healthy!

The human body relies on forces in nature to move, function, and develop properly; one such force is gravity. Our bodies need gravity for bone mass, balance, and blood flow. While gravity does act positively on our bodies, it can also result in swelling in our feet and ankles. How can it be essential for our health but at the same time cause undesired swelling in the body’s tissues? In this blog, we will learn how and why gravity can cause swelling in our feet and ankles. We will begin by learning about blood flow within the body.

Arterial and venous blood flow

There are two types of blood flow in the body, arterial and venous. It is the venous blood in our veins flow that can lead to swelling in the feet, ankles, and ankles. 

There are little to no muscles in the walls of the veins. Veins rely solely on the surrounding muscles in the legs to pump the blood back up to the heart to be reoxygenated in the lungs. Walking and moving around actively contract and release these muscles and facilitate blood flow upwards. Sitting or standing still for long periods does not trigger the muscles to squeeze the veins. Therefore, making us more susceptible to swelling in our feet and ankles.

Understanding conditions

Gravity’s pull can cause fluid and blood to pool in our feet and around our ankles.

When this happens, it is similar to a stagnant pool of water. Aging, pregnancy, increased body weight and a sedentary lifestyle, for instance, contribute to how well the body resists a force like gravity when it comes to blood flow.

Swelling in the feet and ankles can also be caused by more serious conditions. For example, congestive heart failure, heart disease and blood clots are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

When it comes to blood flow, conditions affecting the heart can cause an imbalance in supply and demand. If the heart is not functioning as it should, it may not be able to keep up with pumping blood through the body. Blood clots or blockages in the veins, known in the medical world as thrombus, will prevent blood flow altogether.  

Depending on your health and personal circumstances, compression therapy can be beneficial. It works by mimicking the action of the leg muscles to squeeze the blood back up the leg to the heart. Staying active, exercising, and taking breaks from sitting while at work or at home can help blood flow. Compression Therapy is available as knee and thigh-high socks as well as a full pantyhose style. 

Compression socks are widely known among people suffering from leg or foot problems but they have benefits that many people, including active individuals and those who stand on their feet all day, can take advantage of. In particular, people who have or are experiencing any of the following conditions can benefit from wearing gradient compression socks or stockings:

• Tired, aching, fatigued legs
• Mild to moderate swelling
• Pregnancy
• Varicose veins and venous insufficiency
• Swollen feet, ankles, and legs
• Stand or sit for long periods
• Overweight
• Post-thrombotic syndrome

In particular, people who sit or stand for long periods of time at work or home can experience painful swelling or numbness in the feet and ankles. In turn, the swelling can make wearing shoes particularly uncomfortable – further worsening the pain and side effects. For people who may be at risk, compression therapy is an excellent way to take preventative measures.

Why compression therapy?

Circulation problems can arise when we create additional stress on our lower limbs or get older. As one’s legs become weak, the veins and pathways inside the legs may stop working properly. A serious side effect of this is that the legs can begin circulating the same blood over and over, leading to painful health conditions that can escalate into more serious health conditions.

Compression socks are specially designed to aid in the circulation of the blood within the legs. Using compression therapy, circulation is boosted which brings much-needed nutrients and oxygenated blood into the legs and feet. Many people report their legs feel invigorated and free of the pain and weakness they have been experiencing. Compression therapy can reduce the amount of damage suffered to the legs and regenerate damaged tissues.

Using compression socks regularly is an excellent way to take preventative measures for your health. Even when your feet are at rest for extended periods, these socks provide a healthy circulation boost and help eliminate pain, swelling and fatigue. The compression effect works to massage the muscles of the legs in a gentle manner, taking care of you throughout the day.

… And if you think all compression socks are uncomfortable and ugly – think again! Many high quality socks are made to look great while still providing excellent medical benefits!

Athletic compression socks

If you have attended a basketball game lately or noticed runners passing by in the park, you may wonder when “retro” knee high sports socks came back in to fashion. Well, this time around, it would appear the 1970’s looking socks are more for function rather than fashion! The socks you may be seeing more frequently are athletic compression socks – seen on runners and athletes of all ages and abilities. The theory behind these socks is that they work to improve athletic performance. Really? Can changing your socks really shave minutes off your 10k time?

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the recovery effects of compression socks. A study from Massey University showed a significant decrease in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after a 10k run. Runners who wore compression socks during the run experienced less muscle soreness 24 hours after completing the run. So although these socks will not make your run any faster or run any longer, you could reap the benefits the following day by avoiding muscle soreness.

At the end of the day (or at the end of a run) there do not seem to be any negative effects to performance while wearing compression socks and the benefit of decreased muscle soreness may be a good enough reason to give the socks a try. What must be understood is that these are not “regular” knee high, tube socks. Compression socks are made with firm elastic throughout and provide a mild to firm amount of compression starting at the ankle continuing up to the knee.

Due to the technology and materials used to make the socks, the cost of a quality pair of compression socks is likely to cost $60 or more. Look for socks with graduated compression, where the grade of compression decreases near the top of the sock (allowing for better blood flow and is generally more comfortable). The compression factor in these socks is measured in millimeters of mercury, often denoted as mmHg. When using the socks for athletic purposes, look for socks with a compression factor of 8-15 or 15-20mmHg or better still, ask your BioPed Pedorthist who has been fully trained in assessment and fitting techniques, for assistance.