When you think about diabetes, podiatry probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Still, a doctor at the Lawton Community Health Center said they’re an integral part of diabetes education and care. Dr. John Cauthon, a Podiatrist at LCHC, said they want to see diabetes patients early so they can prevent foot problems.
“Prevention looks like daily maintenance, care, attention to detail,” Dr. Cauthon said. “In reference to shoe gear, appropriate socks, things that matter as far as not being barefoot in their home, always having on some kind of shoe gear, whether it be outside or inside and hygiene.”
He said people with diabetes also need to inspect their feet daily. Dr. Cauthon said diabetes control is the first thing he talks to them about.
“If diabetes is out of control it becomes an issue,” he said. “So managing diabetes is number one. Secondarily is the preventative aspect of it. Prevention is things that we kinda discussed along numerous other things that we discuss when they come in and thirdly is early detection and treatment.”
He said they want to treat issues quickly so little things don’t turn into big things which is why daily visual inspection is important.
“Many of our diabetic patients lack sensation as a result of neuropathy, and so we stress the importance of visual inspection,” Dr. Cauthon said..
Dr. Cauthon works alongside several other providers at LCHC, such as a general practitioner, endocrinologist, and Diabetes Dietitian Specialists.
“We do not want our patients to have bad outcomes,” he said, “and of course, a bad outcome is loss of a toe or a foot or a leg, and even sometimes having wounds that are problematic for our patients.”
He said having several health care officials helping with diabetes management, working in the same area, lets them have a high level of communication and talk to their patients about all aspects of their health care and not just one specific aspect.
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