Living with diabetes puts your feet at risk for wide-ranging complications. Maintaining optimal foot health requires diligent daily care and regular visits with an experienced specialist. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
Wilks Advanced Foot Care is a family-owned podiatry practice known for providing comprehensive and conscientious diabetic foot care. Our trusted Roseburg podiatrist, Dr. Jason Wilks, has extensive experience helping patients with diabetes mitigate its effects on their feet. For 25 years, Dr. Wilks has helped diabetic patients throughout Douglas County manage diabetes-related foot conditions, prioritizing conservative, non-surgical solutions whenever possible.
Schedule an appointment and discover why we’re Southern Oregon’s top choice for top-notch podiatric care.
Diabetes and Your Feet
Diabetes is a group of chronic diseases that affect the body’s ability to produce or effectively use insulin, a hormone crucial for converting what you eat into energy. Food breaks down into glucose or sugar, which is released into your blood. Without insulin to direct the sugar into the appropriate cells—or functioning receptors to utilize it—the glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Over time, elevated blood sugar levels can damage nerves and blood vessels throughout your body, making your feet vulnerable to issues such as:
- Poor circulation. Also called peripheral artery disease (PAD), this condition disrupts the circulatory system, reducing blood flow to your limbs. This can make it harder for cuts, blisters, and sores to heal.
- Nerve damage. Diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet, leading to peripheral neuropathy that dulls sensation, preventing you from feeling minor injuries until they become major problems.
- Diabetic foot ulcers. These open sores require special care to encourage healing and avoid complications like gangrene or amputation. Dr. Wilks is a talented wound care specialist with more than two decades of experience.
- Dry, cracked skin. Xerosis, which is the medical term for severely dry skin, can lead to painful cracks called fissures, that can increase your risk of plantar warts, athlete’s foot, and other infections.
Thankfully, these and many other diabetes-related foot problems are preventable. A proactive approach involving daily foot checks and regular visits with our Roseburg podiatrist are indispensable parts of your overall diabetes care plan.
Keeping Your Feet Healthy With Diligent Daily Foot Care
When you have diabetes, consistency and attention to detail are key to protecting your feet. Following a daily foot care routine can help prevent complications by alerting you to potential problems as early as possible. Dr. Wilks recommends:
- Proper hygiene. Wash your feet your feet in warm water, dry thoroughly, and apply moisturizer (but not between your toes) every day to maintain healthy skin and prevent infection.
- Daily inspections. Perform daily foot checks, examining all parts of your feet, including the soles and between the toes, looking for cuts, blisters, redness, or changes in color and temperature.
- Appropriate footwear. Protect your feet from injury by choosing shoes that fit well and provide adequate support and cushioning for your activity.
Contact our office if you notice:
- Changes in skin color or temperature
- Sores, wounds, or other injuries
- Persistent pain
- Numbness or tingling
Comprehensive Diabetic Foot Care From Our Roseburg, Oregon, Podiatrist
At Wilks Advanced Foot Care, we provide complete podiatry care for diabetic patients. In addition to monitoring your feet for changes in sensation, circulation, or skin integrity, Dr. Wilks and our friendly staff coordinate with your primary care doctor, diabetes specialists, and other health care providers to ensure continuity of care.
We tailor our services and treatments to your needs, providing preventive care, prompt appointments, and cutting-edge therapies for healthy, happy feet.