Preventing foot complications

There are several low-cost prevention strategies to reduce the incidence of foot ulcerations and amputations. The standard approach to prevent ulceration is to provide padded insoles and protective shoes, educate the patients and their family, and provide regular foot inspection by the patients’ primary care physician or podiatrist. Several studies support the effectiveness of this type of approach to reduce the incidence of ulceration and amputation (1-3). The benefit of a team approach to prevent foot ulceration and to reduce amputations has been described multiple times in the United States and Europe.