Charcot Foot
What is a Charcot Foot?
Charcot Foot (pronounced: shär-kō) is a sudden softening of the bones in the feet. The progressive degenerative condition can develop into a severe deformity of the foot.
Your feet are the foundation for the rest of your body. If the base deteriorates, you may not be able to walk.
The initial stages of Charcot Foot usually go undetected or undiagnosed, as many of the symptoms are similar to other foot ailments.
Most often, the patient notices pain or discomfort due the nerve damage. Nerves in the Charcot Foot are damaged to the point where you cannot feel the rough or sharp surface you walk on.
Symptoms of a Charcot Foot
In the early stages, there could be some swelling of one or more of the feet. One foot could often be redder in color than the other, and will often feel warmer.
In later stages, the foot bone structure appears to be falling apart and the arches collapse. The person may start to show instability when walking.
In severe cases, the bones of the foot will start to push through the bottom sole of the foot causing lesions. Opens sores are very susceptible to infections and must be carefully monitored.
Weakened foot bone may also crumble while you walk.
What Causes Charcot Foot?
Diabetes is the main cause. Diabetics develop a condition called "Neuropathy", which is basically nerve damage. Damages to the nerves in the feet trigger a weakening of the foot bones, causing the arches to collapse. Weakened foot bones are easily damaged by walking on uneven ground surfaces..
A complication of diabetic neuropathy is a lack of sensitivity to the soles of the feet. If the nerves do not send messages to the brain that you just banged, bruised, or cut your foot, you may be continuing to aggravate and damage the soft bones in your Charcot Foot.
Will Far Infrared Socks Help?
Yes! Far Infrared energy rays emitted from Prolotex™ FIR Socks help to rejuvenate cells and tissues, including some restoration of sensatory nerve endings.
Most people with Charcot Feet have noticeable swelling of their feet and ankles. The swelling is tissue inflammation, but the patient may not feel any pain because of the earlier nerve damage. Far infrared rays will help reduce the inflammation.
If the patient does experience foot pain, the FIR socks do help relieve the discomfort.
FREE Tips To Help Prevent Charcot Foot
- Wear supportive footwear that fits your foot.
- Heed early warning signs of the condition to retard the development of this serious condition.
- Inspect your feet on a regular basis, so that you will notice changes in temperature, color and structural changes.
- Wear a fresh, clean pair of Prolotex™ Far Infrared Socks every day to help reduce inflammation and Charcot foot complications.
- If you suspect degenerative changes, maybe your doctor should X-ray the foot. An X-ray will expose any changes in alignment of the bones, and if the bones are showing disintegration.
- Rest your feet and take care not to do any further damage by continuing to move around.
- Wear a protective covering on your foot. In some cases, the doctor may cast the foot to help stabilize the bones.
- Wear Prolotex™ Far Infrared Socks for rejuvenation of tissue, cells and nerve endings.