Patient was instructed on foot care: a podiatrist can also fit patient with shoe inserts called orthotics to support the feet if have diabetic nerve pain or the muscles have become weak from nerve damage. If pain or weakness is so severe that it's too painful or even impossible to walk, a foot brace or orthopedic shoes might help. Further teaching is needed.
The best treatment for nerve pain, ultimately, is to manage your diabetes well. In fact, a major study by the American Diabetes Association in 2006 showed that strict blood glucose control with intensive insulin therapy lowered the chances of having symptoms of peripheral neuropathy - tingling, burning, and pain - by 64%. While you can't control whether or not you get diabetic nerve pain, you can help control your glucose levels with diet, exercise, and mediations if you need them.
Your feet are your source of independence - or at least its foundation. Give your feet a little tenderness, a little loving care, each day. And be sure to have your doctor take a good look at your feet during each of your diabetes checkups, in case you missed anything.
Patient was instructed about how to get a balanced diet: choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages among the basic food groups, balance calories from foods and beverages with physical activity to manage body weight, choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often, eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily (for someone eating 2,000 calories) and other way to get the goals will be explained in next teaching. Further teaching is needed.
Patient was instructed on diabetes complications such as nerves damage (diabetic neuropathy). Nerve damage occurs because excess sugar injures the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the nerves.
Patient was instructed on diabetes complications such as nerves damage (diabetic neuropathy). The symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. Most often, diabetes can cause tingling, numbness, or pain that usually begins at the tips of the toes or fingers.
Patient was instructed on nerve damage as a cause of diabetes. The pain that begins in the extremities, toes and fingers over a period of months or years gradually it spreads upward. If not treated, it is possible to loose all sense of feeling in the affected area.
Patient was instructed on nerve damage as a complication of diabetes. Because of the lost sense of feeling in the extremities it is possible to not feel any discomfort in the feet, and it is also possible to develop sores that can turn into skin ulcers without being aware of it.
Patient was instructed about to tell the doctor about any changes in sensation in the toes, feet, or legs. Speak up if note pain, tingling, a pins-and-needles feeling, numbness, or any other unusual signs - even if it seems trivial to the patient. Further teaching is needed.
Patient was instructed about the skin damage: the skin may be dry and cracked because of high glucose levels, and cracked skin means it's easier for bacteria to get under the skin and harder for infections to heal. Use a small amount of skin lotion daily, to be sure the feet feel dry - not damp or sticky - afterwards. Try not to get the lotion in between the toes. Keep the toenails trimmed and filed smooth to avoid ingrown toenails. Further teaching is needed.
