Charcot Foot

In weeks past, we've blogged about the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Jacksonville, as well as some of the manifestations it will have on your feet. Over time, people with diabetes lose sensation in their feet, a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. While this is an undesireable outcome in itself, this loss of sensation may lead to Charcot Foot (pronounced shar-KO), a severely disabling condition. While we at On Your Feet want to maintain a positive tone at the blog, patient education is our goal, and thus any patient who has neuropathy needs to be aware of this stark condition.

When you lose sensation in your foot, you don't feel as much pain as you otherwise would. If you injure yourself, you won't notice. You'll just keep on going about as usual, on your injured foot. As you might imagine, this will only make a bad situation worse. These many repeated tiny injuries add up. Bones will break or dislocate, and the foot becomes deformed.

Prevention and early diagnosis are both key. If you are experiencing neuropathy, you won't be able to feel pain, so look for other signs of injury in your feet. Is one foot more swollen? Does it look red? If so, you may have an injury you are not aware of. Consult with Dr. Reddy or a podiatrist in your area to determine what the next course of action will be. However, you should expect to spend a good deal of time off that foot. With early diagnosis, you will prevent further damage and keep your foot as healthy as possible.