Diabetic Foot Care
Protecting Your Feet for a Healthy, Active Life
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to compromise your lifestyle. At Mitchell Wachtel DPM, we provide comprehensive diabetic foot care to help prevent complications, manage pain, and keep your feet healthy. Our services include wound care, custom orthotics, diabetic shoes, braces, and more. With our on-site X-ray technology, we can accurately diagnose foot problems and create a personalized care plan to protect your mobility.
How Diabetes Affects Your Feet
Peripheral Neuropathy
High blood sugar levels can damage nerves, leading to loss of sensation in your feet. This includes an inability to feel pain, heat, cold, or pressure, which increases the risk of unnoticed injuries. Untreated wounds can develop into diabetic foot ulcers, which in severe cases may lead to infection or amputation.
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Restricted blood flow in diabetic feet slows healing. Minor cuts, scrapes, or sores may fail to heal properly, increasing the risk of infections and complications. Maintaining proper circulation is critical to foot health.
Daily Foot Care for Diabetic Patients
Preventing serious complications starts with daily vigilance. Follow this checklist to protect your feet:
- Manage your diabetes: Maintain target blood sugar levels through diet, medication, and regular monitoring.
- Inspect your feet daily: Look for cuts, sores, redness, or swelling. Seek medical attention for any non-healing wounds.
- Stay active: Gentle exercise improves circulation and supports overall health.
- Wash and groom your feet: Keep feet clean, trim nails straight across, and manage corns or calluses carefully.
- Always wear socks and shoes: Protect your feet from injuries and infections.
- Protect from temperature extremes: Test water and surfaces before exposing your feet to prevent burns or frostbite.
Why Choose Our Diabetic Foot Care Services
Dr. Wachtel and our team specialize in preventive care, early detection, and effective treatment for diabetic foot issues. Whether it’s providing custom orthotics, managing neuropathy, or treating foot wounds, we ensure your feet receive expert, compassionate care.
Convenient Care Across the Merrimack Valley
We serve patients in North Andover, Lowell, and Haverhill, MA, offering accessible, high-quality diabetic foot care. Having a podiatrist as part of your medical team is essential for maintaining foot health and preventing complications.
Call us today at 978-794-8406 to schedule your consultation and protect your feet for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetes can cause nerve damage and reduced blood flow, making your feet more susceptible to injuries, infections, and complications. Regular care helps prevent serious problems, including ulcers and amputations.
Patients with diabetes should have their feet examined by a podiatrist at least once a year, and more often if they have neuropathy, poor circulation, or prior foot injuries.
We provide wound care, custom orthotics, diabetic shoes, braces, neuropathy management, skin and nail care, and preventive evaluations to keep your feet healthy.
Daily inspection, proper hygiene, wearing protective footwear, maintaining blood sugar levels, and avoiding extreme temperatures are key to protecting your feet.
Yes. Orthotics provide proper support, relieve pressure, improve gait, and reduce the risk of ulcers or other injuries. They are customized for your foot structure and activity level.
Seek medical attention immediately. Diabetic wounds can worsen quickly due to reduced sensation and circulation, so prompt care is critical.
Yes. We offer a range of therapies, including laser therapy, orthotics, and specialized foot care, to help manage neuropathy symptoms and improve comfort.