Panama City, FL

Monday, January 17, 2011

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Enough diabetics suffer from foot problems to warrant a strong association between diabetes and nerve damage. "Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by diabetes and is described as a loss of sensation that starts in the tips of the toes and gradually works its way up the legs. Diabetic neuropathy is sometimes referred to as a stocking glove neuropathy because it progresses as if one was pulling on a stocking. Diabetic neuropathy can affect both the hands and the feet" http://www.musclerelaxant.org/2010/12/painful-diabetic-neuropathy/) So, if you are diabetic and complain to your doctor of foot problems, this would not be considered unusual by any means.

Dr. Burton S. Schuler, a podiatrist practicing for 36 years in Panama City Florida, a member of the American Diabetes Association, and Director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinic in Panama City, Florida ), claims it is easy to mistake neuropathies for another common foot problem. "Burning, numbness, tingling, hot and cold sensations, shooting and electrical pain are common sensations felt in the feet in individuals with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDN)" http://www.musclerelaxant.org/2010/12/painful-diabetic-neuropathy/).

Schuler explains that these symptoms are also shared by people who have a longer second toe--also known as "Morton's Toe," named after Dr. Dudley J. Morton who first acknowledged the medical consequences of this condition as early as 1928). Because the foot does not hit the ground properly when there is a longer second toe, patients suffering from this condition can experience "burning, numbness, tingling, hot and cold sensations, shooting and electrical pain"; these symptoms are the same as those associated with diabetic neuropathies.

But the treatments are not the same, which makes this an important medical clarification. Doctors who treat diabetics with foot pain issues should be aware that the pain can be caused by Morton's Toe in the individual--regardless of whether he or she has diabetes. For Schuler, an expert in diagnosing and treating Morton's Toe, the treatment is a toe pad under the first big toe, which is used to correct pronation and eradicate painful symptoms. The treatment for diabetic neuropathy can be medication that will have no impact on the toe problems; this is why it is important to know the difference.

 

Dr. Burton S. Schuler

Foot Specialist, Podiatrist

The Ambulatory Foot Clinic

Panama City, FL

850-763-3333

First Url: Morton's Toe,

Second Url: Dr. Burton S. Schuler,