At the June 2002 meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), foot care specialists reviewed best practices for small practices in preventing foot problems in people with diabetes. They noted that the most common cause of foot ulcers is minor trauma to the foot in people with neuropathy. A single incident is rarely the cause; there is usually a history of minor trauma. Preventing any one component could prevent the development of an ulcer.

Protecting the foot from injury is a primary objective in patients at high risk for foot ulcers and can be done through education, use of protective footwear and routine podiatry care. The specialists noted that self-care foot education has been shown to be effective in preventing 50 to 80 percent of lower limb amputations in high-risk individuals. In one trial, high-risk patients who received a one-hour patient education session focusing on foot care had one-third fewer ulcerations and amputations than patients who did not have the educational session.

They specifically suggested that environmental modifications such as using a night-light and clearing walking spaces in the home can help to prevent repeated minor foot trauma.

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Source:  ADA. Preventing foot problems from diabetes: best practices for small practices. ADA Sessions Highlights, June 16, 2002.