A foot ulcer is a serious injury that requires medical attention right away. Foot ulcers are deep sores or a break in the skin. The danger is that they can easily become infected and worsen. Left untreated, a foot ulcer can affect deeper layers of the skin and even the bone.
Foot ulcers are caused by minor injuries like a scrape or puncture wound. Slowly-healing cuts or friction from improperly-fitting shoes may also result in an ulcer.
People with Diabetes Must Take Extra Care When Feet Are Damaged
If you have diabetes, you likely have peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy is nerve damage and this type of neuropathy affects the peripheral nerve system of the legs, feet and arms.
The result is nerve pain, but also numbness and lack of sensation. When an individual with diabetes experiences a foot wound, they may not notice it for some time until it has worsened into a dangerous ulcer.
Tenotomy Can Heal Toe Ulcers
A toe ulcer is often seen along with deformities like hammertoe and claw toe. Because the toes are deformed, calluses, blisters and other skin injuries can develop from friction against footwear and then escalate to an ulcer.
At our practice, we address toe ulcers by correcting the deformity in the toe. A flexor tenotomy procedure will reduce the deformity and therefore heal the ulcer. This minimally-invasive procedure is performed on an outpatient basis right in our office. The tendon causing the deformity is released and the toe can return to its normal position. Full recovery takes about 4-6 weeks.
If not handled properly, ulcers can cause amputation of the toe, foot and even the lower leg. Don’t wait if you have a non-healing foot injury – contact us right away.
We Can Help with Foot and Ankle Pain
If you have any problems with your toenails, or neuropathy or any foot problem like heel pain or plantar fasciitis, discomfort from arthritis, an injury or just from overuse, please call Michele Kurlanski, DPM at Lighthouse Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Kurlanski offers expert and professional podiatry services in Cumberland County, Maine. Please call us today at 207-774-0028 to schedule your appointment in our Scarborough office.