Our feet never stop working, so it shouldn’t surprise us that as we walk, run, jump, hike, bike ride, and more, foot wounds develop. Think cuts, bruises, and scrapes.
The trusted providers at South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers help you do all you can to avoid foot mishaps, but they’re also ready to treat any problem you might have. As partners in your care, our team is dedicated to educating you about many foot conditions, at-home care, and injury prevention.
You can injure your foot in so many ways, or increase your risk for a foot wound by:
A foot wound turns dangerous when it develops into an ulcer, or a wound that’s slow to heal or won’t heal at all. As an ulcer worsens, it not only limits your mobility — making it much harder to live your life normally — it also heightens your risk for infection.
If you live with diabetes, an untreated foot ulcer can turn serious quickly — and even become life threatening. The main problem is that neuropathy, which causes numbness in your feet, is a common complication for people who have diabetes, affecting more than 30% of them.
This lack of sensation makes you unaware of foot injuries since you don’t feel any pain from them. Therefore, it’s critical to perform foot checks daily and watch closely for any nicks, scratches, or other wounds. Once an infection sets in and goes untreated, it can put you at risk for amputation and even deadly sepsis.
When you work with your South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers podiatrist, they equip you with recommendations on how to avoid foot wounds, including:
It’s better to be safe — and vigilant — than sorry, so take meticulous care of your feet and steer clear of injury risks as much as possible.
If you do develop a foot ulcer, we’re here to provide the most advanced treatment, so you can get relief from discomfort and move freely again.
The key is to seek care early before your situation becomes serious. When you see us, we start by treating the wound, carefully bandaging it, and prescribing a course of antibiotics. In addition to traditional bandaging, we offer dressings that are medicated and specially treated and prepared to support wound healing.
We also offer advanced approaches, including regenerative techniques that harness your body’s own healing powers to hasten wound healing, like stem cell therapy and platelet-rich fibrin therapy.
Additionally, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where greatly increased air pressure allows your lungs to fill with more oxygen, combats bacteria and stimulates the release of stem cells and growth factors to support healing.
Negative pressure wound therapy uses suction to remove bacteria and fluid from your wound, while also protecting it from dangerous agents in the air.
We’re always here to support and guide you if you discover a foot wound or ulcer, or need prevention strategies or cutting-edge treatments. At South Florida Foot & Ankle Centers, you’re an individual, never a number, and that shows in how we customize your treatment.
Call us to set up a consultation at our Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Belle Glade, or Palm Beach Gardens office, or request an appointment online. For your convenience, we offer early morning and evening appointments during the week, and on Saturdays as well.
