Diabetes

How Wide Shoes Can Help with Diabetes

About 60-70 percent of people with diabetes have some form of diabetic nerve damage called neuropathy. When neuropathy affects the peripheral sensory nerves, as it commonly does, it can cause loss of feeling in the feet. Once some feeling in the feet is lost, the patient is at risk for developing ulcers - pressure sores. Due to the fact that diabetes also contributes to decreased blood circulation in the feet, these ulcers are often slow to heal.

One of the best ways to prevent ulcers is therapeutic footwear. A board-certified pedorthist is a specialist trained in all aspects of therapeutic footwear. Therapeutic footwear for people with diabetes includes shoes, shoe modifications, socks, protective multi-density inserts, and custom foot orthoses. Jay's Wide Shoes has friendly pedorthists on staff, ready to help those suffering from diabetes find the right shoes for them.

Finding the Right Shoes

A pedorthist begins by measuring the feet- BOTH feet, as one foot is commonly larger than the other. The pedorthist then helps the patient select a shoe that is the proper shape for his/her foot. Since sizes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - and often from style to style - the fit of a shoe is infinitely more important than the number size printed on the shoe box. The pedorthist will check to see that the shoe is wide enough and that the widest part of the foot rests comfortably in the widest part of the shoe. He or she will also check to see that the shoe is the correct length - leaving about a thumb's width between the end of the longest toe and the front of the shoe. The style of shoe will be determined by the patient's activity level and by what the desired effect of the footwear is - typically protection, accommodation, support, control or stability. The best shoes for people with diabetes are usually ones with thick, cushioned soles. If the physician has prescribed orthoses, the pedorthist will recommend depth shoes with removable factory insoles that can be replaced with the new devices.

Orthoses

Traditionally, an orthosis is fabricated using a mold of the patient's foot. Orthoses can be made of any number of materials but are normally made of a soft, protective material for people with diabetes. An ulcer can develop in any spot on the foot where there is excessive pressure. A primary function of the orthosis is to reduce pressures at potential problem sites. Once the orthoses have been fitted and rechecked, they will need to be properly maintained, which includes periodic replacement.

Find out how a pedorthist can help you by visiting your local Jay's Wide Shoes location. Find a Jay's Wide Shoes store in your area.