What are Charcot Foot?

Charcot foot is a degenerative condition that develops over time and impacts the joints in the feet.  The condition is triggered by nerve damage and as such is heavily related to Diabetic neuropathy.

The condition reduces the sensations felt in the foot, this includes pain, reflex to any stimuli. As a result the feet become more vulnerable and injury to the skin, bones, ligaments and muscles can occur very easily.

Symptoms of Charcot Foot:

The condition causes pain and swelling and can sometimes be hard to identify because other conditions have similar symptoms. However, the progressive nature of Charcot foot means that the condition will worsen over time and slow develop deformities in the feet. So diabetics in particular should be very mindful of any symptoms and consult their GP if they are concerned about anything.

Other symptoms include:

• Sporadic shots on pain in the feet
• Excessive swelling to the joints in the feet
• Progressive bone deformity and common breaks in the foot.
• Dislocation of the joints
• Loss of sensation in the foot
• Heavy pulse in the foot

Causes of Charcot Foot:

This is a degenerative condition that impairs the sensations felt in the feet, leading the bones susceptible to injury that can’t be felt and as such develops and worsens – leading to deformity and immobility.

The loss of sensation in the feet is due to impairment in the nerves. This condition is commonly found in people suffering from diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. However, how these conditions occur hasn’t been discovered yet.

Relief and Prevention of Charcot Foot:

If someone has Charcots foot the main thing to do it try to prevent injury by:

• Protecting the feet – shoes that are soft and supportive should help keep the feet in a safe position and encourage a positive walking action.
• Walking barefoot should be avoided
• Speacial seem free socks are available – lessening the risk of friction will protect the feet from blisters that if unnoticed could become infected.
• Inspect the feet reguraly to check for injury
• Don’t engage in any activities that involve a risk of injury.