What does diabetes have do with shoes?

The tingling, numbness, infection and foot ulceration caused by nerve damage or neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Patients diagnosed with diabetes may not be aware of these injuries until the damage is serious.

All too often the damage is the result of ill-fitting or improper shoes. The Federal Government acknowledged this problem in 1993 when Congress passed The Therapeutic Shoe Bill creating a Medicare reimbursement benefit for eligible diabetic patients.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that over 30 percent of diabetics admitted to hospitals have foot problems. Over one-half of diabetics are at risk of all serious foot problems. Fifty percent of non-traumatic foot amputations occur in diabetes patients. Diabetics account for more than 1500 major amputations each week.

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