It may surprise many that a desire to “take control” by a patient with a diabetic foot ulcer may actually delay healing. According to a just-published study in Diabetologia, “confrontation coping and depression predict ulcer healing.” According to the lead author, professor Kavita Vedhara, “My colleagues and I believe that this confrontational approach may, inadvertently, […]
It is so encouraging to see one of the most respected experts in the world on the diabetic foot, David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, writing again on the harmful effects of shear forces on the foot during ambulation. His blog entry is entitled: “Does Stress During Walking Occur During Foot ‘Takeoff’ And ‘Landing’ Rather Than […]
This is a very interesting website: Patients Like Me®. People with various diseases such as ALS or epilepsy share information about their disease. Sharing can be restricted to people in that web-based group or it can be revealed to the public – the person can choose. Members share various kinds of patient data including years […]
Virtually every guidance on diabetic foot care recommends that people with diabetes clean and apply moisturizers to their feet (except not between the toes) at least if they are dry or callused. The American Diabetes Association has just such recommendations on foot care. However, very little research has been done on the kind of moisturizers […]
One of the most annoying things about running shoe companies is that they change shoe models seemingly without reason. If you find a good shoe that fits you well, it is often nearly impossible to find the same model a year later. Here’s a short article about this from Jenny L. Sanders, DPM. This is […]
We met with a customer today and talked about ShearBan®. He makes lots of spinal orthoses. He said one of his patients recently experienced skin redness from the metal rivets on the spinal orthosis. When the patient came back in, the orthotist covered the rivets with ShearBan Rivet Cover Patches. The redness disappeared. ShearBan is […]
We forgot to mention this article by Davis and Yavuz on plantar shear forces: Plantar shear stress distribution in athletic individuals with frictional foot blisters. The article concludes that “biomechanical interaction on the plantar surface of a blister-prone person is different from that of individuals who are less prone to the problem.” The biomechanics of […]
Kathleen Satterfield, DPM, recently wrote this article on patients with diabetes who wear sandals or, worse yet, flip flops: Flip-Flops Versus Sandals: Does It Make A Difference For Patients With Diabetes? She points out two dangers: first, the potential for trauma to the exposed foot; and, second, the lack of support for the foot provided […]
Here’s yet another article addressing shearing forces as a neglected cause of diabetic foot ulcers: Can Smart Orthotics Have an Impact in Preventing Ulceration? The article observes that experts are increasingly recognizing the importance of shear in diabetic foot ulcer formation. This kind of attention to shear is so important. A key issue raised by […]
Dr. Metin Yavuz is one of the leading researchers on the biomechanical forces causing diabetic foot ulcers. He started his work at the Cleveland Clinic and has continued it at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Yavuz contributed a superb article to the May, 2010 issue of Lower Extremity Review entitled: Plantar Shear: Casting […]
