An Owner's Manual for Your Feet

By Owen C. Franklin

"I don't really think people pay all that much attention to their feet. The topic, itself, isn't all that glamorous, especially when compared to things like new medication or an insulin pump."

It might be hard to understand why a woman with 10 letters of credentials attached to her name would spend her days studying feet.

"Feet aren't very sexy," said Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E.. "Studying foot care and teaching people about their feet can involve a lot of common sense."

But Dr. Ahroni researches more than just collapsed arches and athlete's foot. For Dr. Ahroni, any given day could involve gangrene, self-destructive calluses and limb amputation. A family nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator, Dr. Ahroni has studied diabetic foot problems for 13 years.

Now, the consumer friendly snippets of those 13 years of research are available in 114 large-font pages. Dr. Ahroni is the author of a new book published by the American Diabetes Association, entitled 101 Foot Care Tips for People with Diabetes.

Talking toes

Many people with diabetes have already filled their shelves with "how-to" literature. But 101 Foot Care Tips offers a user-friendly format that can't be found in larger books that cover broader topics.

Eleven simple chapters identify the key issues. The different chapters, such as "Skin Care Tips," "Shoes and Socks Tips" and "Identifying Major Problems" each contain various reader friendly tips — with one topic per page.

Some people may read the book cover to cover, while others may browse the different types of care. Readers looking for a deeper understanding of these issues can explore chapters devoted to the mechanisms of foot related complications.

All in all, the book offers a special owner's manual for your feet.

savvyHEALTH: Why do people need a book like this?

Dr. Ahroni: It's amazing how many people are afraid of losing their feet. A lot of people with diabetes already know someone who's had a problem. But people rarely talk about it.

savvyHEALTH: Why don't these problems get enough attention?

Dr. Ahroni: I don't really think people pay all that much attention to their feet. The topic itself isn't all that glamorous, especially when compared to things like new medication or an insulin pump. Also, health care providers themselves might overlook feet. These people are very busy, and they often do a head to toe evaluation. The feet are the last thing they look at and, in many cases, the feet won't get checked unless a patient asks.

savvyHEALTH: Does foot care have to take up a lot of time?

Dr. Ahroni: No, but it should be done everyday. The process itself can take about three to five minutes. You certainly don't have to do 101 things everyday.

savvyHEALTH: What would you say is the most important foot care tip?

Dr. Ahroni: I would say that the most important thing that you can do is to look at your feet everyday. You might not feel any problems, but if you look at your feet regularly, you have a good chance of catching any problems.

savvyHEALTH: Regarding the chapters that explain how foot problems occur — how important do you think it is that people understand these complications as well as care for them?

Dr. Ahroni: I think it's extremely important. Once you understand how diabetes affects your body and how it sparks the series of steps that eventually lead to foot problems, you can have a better understanding of how to prevent those steps from happening.

savvyHEALH: Are these steps difficult to prevent?

Dr. Ahroni: If you catch problems early enough, you have a much better chance of preventing them. In general, preventing foot problems is pretty simple. You don't have to make a big deal out of looking at your feet, it isn't a big production. You just have to make it a habit.
Owen C. Franklin is a content producer at savvyHEALTH.com.

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