Podiatry for medical conditions, Bendigo

Foot-help for arthritis, diabetes and other conditions affecting the health of your feet

Certain medical conditions can affect the health of your feet. It’s important you have a professional podiatrist monitor the health of your feet and provide treatments where needed to alleviate pain and prevent further issues. Common medical conditions which can affect foot health include diabetes and arthritis.

Diabetes can have disastrous effects on your feet. If you have diabetes you are encouraged to visit a podiatrist at least once a year for a check up. At O’Dwyer Podiatry we conduct a foot check annually so we can keep track of your foot condition.

How does diabetes affect the foot? Well that’s a complex question. In many cases not at all, but in some cases it can lead to gangrene and in some cases, amputation. Put simply – it can affect the peripheral blood and nerve supply to the foot and if this happens all hell breaks loose!

If the skin gets damaged from a cut, rub from a shoe, ingrown nail or a corn, then healing can be delayed because of the poor blood supply to the skin. Combine that with the lack of sensation (the neuropathy) in the skin means that the wound can go undetected for a while. Not a good outcome! Our aim is to teach you what to look for and how to manage your diabetic foot. We cannot cure it but we will try to stop the damage it can do.

Arthritis can be a painful condition which makes it difficult to walk or even put on a pair of shoes. Podiatry can help manage the pain and swelling associated with arthritis and we can also recommend the right orthotics for your condition. Please contact us to book an appointment, we also provide geriatric podiatry in Bendigo.