Strength training can help some amputees regain physical fitness.
To put it extremely mildly, amputation surgery can be life-changing and sometimes very difficult for patients. Not only do they have to adapt to a new way of life, but they also have to learn how to care for the site in the aftermath. According to the Amputee Coalition, patients need to watch for wound drainage, must always ensure bandages and dressings are clean and dry, and that the site does not become inflamed or seeping. In the beginning, amputation wound care can take up most of a patient’s time, and he or she will most likely only be focused on what is happening in the present.
Because diabetes impacts the body’s circulation and nerve health, diabetics are at risk for developing foot issues.
Because diabetes impacts the body’s circulation and nerve health, individuals living with this disease are at risk for developing foot issues.
Foot ulcers, which resemble open sores, are among the most common orthopedic problems that diabetic patients have to deal with. If left unattended, these lacerations can become severe, and even result in the need for amputation.
Japanese doctors have made an important new discovery in treating CLI, which impacts human blood vessels.
Peripheral artery disease is what happens when blood vessels in your limbs narrow, cutting off vital circulation. If left untreated, PAD can eventually turn into critical limb ischemia, or when arteries are blocked fully, leading to sores and ulcers.
According to the University of California Davis Vascular Center, CLI can be quite difficult to treat, as it’s hard to determine if and when limbs have regained standard blood flow.
Now, thanks to a group of researchers out of Japan, physicians may have some much-needed help when it comes to combating CLI.
There are many ways diabetics can reduce their risk of amputation.
Amputations occur for a number of different reasons, including trauma and as a result of long-term conditions like diabetes. The Amputee Coalition of America estimated, there are roughly 185,000 new lower limb amputations each year. Not only that, but many researchers believe the numbers will increase significantly by 2050, with an eventual amputee population of 3.6 million Americans. Fortunately, there are steps patients can take to prevent these limb removals, and often they involve effective wound care management.
A new technique could help treat foot ulcers more effectively.
According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, diabetic foot ulcers have several primary causes, including the loss of feeling and diminished circulation that accompany diabetes. No matter the cause, though, one thing is clear: these ulcers have become a common scourge for diabetic patients.
According to a 2011 report in the journal Data Points, approximately 10 to 15 percent of diabetics develop an ulcer at least once in their life. With estimates putting the worldwide diabetic population at 300 million people by 2025, there will be a need for increasingly effective treatments.
Fortunately, there is just such a groundbreaking new approach on the way.