The Meet My Feet Campaign - Making Strides Towards Great Diabetic Foot Care

There's just no tip-toeing around the fact when you have diabetes, good foot care is a serious consideration and something that must be checked-for on a regular basis. As an athlete, someone who has participated in athletics for the last 10 years and a diabetic, I know that if I don't look after my feet my diabetes could affect them to such an extent that doing sport could become very difficult. When I say there's no tip-toeing around the issue of diabetes, I use this term because I've found that whilst spending time within the diabetes community, conversations about amputations related to poor diabetes control and foot care can be a very frightening thing to talk about. However, it is an unfortunate fact that people with diabetes are more likely to suffer foot related complications as a result of extreme cases of high blood glucose levels and subsequent issues.

Whilst amputations are the worst case scenario, unfortunately they can happen. But problems such as this often begin as things like foot ulcers and infections. This is why it's so important for us to ask our diabetes specialists to take a look at our feet when we go along to appointments, especially if we're not sure what we're looking for. Whilst at a conference a few months ago, in order to help others become more aware, another person with type 1 diabetes shared their story about getting glass stuck in the bottom of their foot. But due to prior nerve damage and a lack of feeling in their feet, the glass went unnoticed and the area got infected. Thankfully due to the fact that it was picked up by a diabetes health care professional not long after, the person was back on their feet in no time. This story is not unusual, within the diabetes community and I think illustrated an important point as to how important it is that we look after our feet.

Recently the charity for people with the condition, Diabetes UK, launched a social media campaign called 'Meet My Feet'. If you are on social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook, then using the hashtag #MeetMyFeet you can send a picture into Twittersphere for example of your feet. The idea of the campaign is because, as the charity states, that; "More than 100 people with diabetes have a leg, foot or toe amputated each week. This is shocking, especially as four out of five of these amputations are preventable" Diabetes UK (2015). They've even released a download and also a video to coincide with the campaign that helps us to understand what we should expect when we go for our foot checks. So far the campaign has proved very popular and is an easy way to spread the word about how important good foot care is, and how big an issue it is amongst the diabetes community.

On a personal note there are a number of actions that I've put in place for my own foot care over the years, to ensure that poor foot care is not something that inhibits my sporting performance. Some of these tips including checking the condition of my feet after every training session. Keeping my blood sugar levels as close to the appropriate range as possible. I always make sure I dry my feet properly whether that's when I'm getting out of the shower, or even if it's been raining during an outdoor training session. Another thing I always do is wear Protect iT socks which are a medically approved brand of socks, made especially for people with diabetes. They do a fantastic sports range, which I've found are good to wear not only for everyday activity, but for my sports sessions. From sprinting to weight-lifting I've found that Protect iT socks provide support and comfort. The way the socks have been made means that there are hardly any seams within their structure, and the technology used in them means that they are able to wick moisture away from the skin. These factors are particularly important because when feet are hot and sweaty, it can soften the skin and lead to blisters. Which as I mentioned earlier in the blog, are something that can sometimes become infected and lead to the amputations that have inspired the Diabetes UK #MeetMyFeet campaign. So let's all put our best foot forward and spread the word about foot care awareness!

Protect iT socks and Great Foot Care - A Winning Combination