THERAPEUTIC FOOTWEAR HELPS PROTECT THE DIABETIC FOOT

There is evidence to indicate that therapeutic footwear can help preve nt lower extremity amputation in patients with diabetes. The primary m eans of preventing amputation is to protect the insensitive foot from unnoticed trauma and excessive plantar pressures that occur during wal king. The specific prescription of the shoe will depend on many foot r isk criteria, but particularly on the patient's level of sensation, hi story of ulceration, and the amount of foot deformity. This article de scribes the type of footwear recommended for each of these increasing levels of foot risk categories.