Wound Care
Proper wound care for the feet is always important, regardless of whether you’ve taken a small scrape or a more serious injury.
This is especially true if you have a cut or sore on your feet that does not seem to be healing as it should – often due to the complications of diabetes, restricted circulation, and/or peripheral neuropathy.
When such wounds are left untreated, even a small nick has the potential to develop into a threatening ulcer with a high risk of infection. The severity can even reach a point where the structure of the foot begins to collapse, a condition known as Charcot foot.
By ensuring diabetic and other slow- or non-healing wounds receive the prompt and thorough attention they need, we can help prevent serious complications and even the potential loss of a foot.
Advanced Wound Care Services
When addressing a wound, the primary goals are to encourage healing and reduce the risk of infection as much as possible.
Almost all wound care for the feet will contain the following fundamental steps:
- Cleaning – We must make sure that the wound is properly disinfected and that all foreign materials are removed from it (debridement).
- Offloading – Keeping weight off the injury and the infected foot is often essential to allow the injury to heal and prevent it from worsening.
- Dressing – Applying medication and properly wrapping the wound to aid in healing and protection.
In some cases, we may recommend more advanced methods of wound care. Such regenerative treatments are designed to stimulate the body’s natural healing responses, helping to accelerate healing or even “kickstart” a healing process that has yet to begin.
- MLS Laser Therapy uses controlled and highly regulated light energy to increase cellular function and blood flow at the site of an injury. It not only helps cells conduct repairs faster but provides them with more of the tools they need from the bloodstream to do so.
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy uses a sample of the patient’s blood and concentrates the platelets within it. This is then injected into the site of damage, providing a boost of the platelets and growth factors the body needs for repair.
Such advanced treatments may not be recommended for every case, depending on the severity of a wound and each patient’s particular needs.
Preventing Complications from Wounds
The best thing you can do to prevent serious complications from foot wounds is to recognize wounds as early as possible.
For many patients with compromised nerves, an injury can easily go undetected. They simply do not feel it has happened, and that can be a very dangerous situation.
For patients at risk like this, they must examine their feet daily for signs of cuts, sores, and other trouble. Such injuries can be monitored and then treated as soon as possible if they are not showing signs of proper healing.
Proper Wound Care Starts Now
While untreated wounds can have devastating consequences on one’s mobility and health, the good news is that these outcomes are almost always avoidable through early detection and preventative care.
Let Advanced Ankle & Foot be your partners in comprehensive wound care – both in direct treatment and in preventing wounds from occurring in the first place. Schedule an appointment by calling our offices or by filling out our online contact form.