Foot Numbness Advice.

This is a list of Do’s and Don’t to follow if you have numb feet.  This advice is different from the information you need to know if you have painful neuropathy of the feet.  The link to that information is at the bottom of this page.  This page relates to Foot Numbness Advise for keeping your feet healthy in the presence of diabetic foot neuropathy.

If your feet have lost the ability to reliably tell your brain what is happening to them, you need to substitute your other senses to take over this important role.

• Look at your feet every day.  Check socks and towels for blood or unusual findings.
• Touch your feet daily.  Feel the heels and in between the toes.  Is there rough shin, blood or a loose toenail?
• Is there any strange odours coming from your feet, shoes or socks?
• Beware consciously of temperature extremes as your feet may not feel them.  Don’t use hot packs or cold packs, don’t put your feet close to radiators or fires, don’t get sunburned and be aware of what surfaces might be hot.  Remember how hot the sand used to get when you were a child? Concrete paths, balcony rails etc are still just as hot and can cause a severe burn, even if you can’t feel it.
• Don’t test water temperature with feet or soak in a hot foot bath.
• Don’t soak in any foot bath. Contrary to popular opinion, soaking in water doesn’t help with hard skin.  Having your feet submerged in water can make the skin weaker and prone to damage when it comes under pressure again.
• Don’t go barefoot inside or out.
• Don’t use pumice stones or any variety of self treatment capable of causing wounds, abrasions or damage.
• Especially don’t use medicated corn plasters.  The medication can seep out from being directly over the corn and burn a hole in the soft skin near the corn.  This could allow an ulcer to form on the foot which may be difficult to heal.
• Be wary of ripping skin with strong sticking plasters.
• Don’t wear thongs.
• Don’t use garters or socks so tight that there is a visible mark on removal.
• Inspect shoes before putting them on every time.  Torn linings can rub away skin and cause an issue.

Finally, remember that looking after your feet mostly involves looking after yourself as a whole.  Controlling your blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure and body weight will have the biggest effect on how you fare in the long term.

To access the downloadable / printable version of the diabetic foot information all together, please browse to our Diabetes Info Sheet.

Or read here to learn about the causes and treatment of peripheral neuropathy.