With about a month or so left of summer, there's still plenty of time to get good use out of those convenient and funky flip-flops of yours. Have to go run an errand? Throw on the "flips." Bringing the trash outside? Throw on the "flips." Spending the entire day shopping downtown? Hmmm...this may be one of those instances where the "flips" may be more flop, and more sensible shoes are a better option.

Flip-flops offer almost no support to your feet and ankles. For people living with diabetes, foot care should be of great importance, so traipsing around town for an extended period of time in flip-flops isn't really the best idea. Constantly wearing them can potentially lead to tendinitis or even metarsalagia -- the inflammation of the joints located in the ball of the foot. Moreover, flip-flops offer very little protection against sharp objects such as rocks, glass, or metal; leaving your feet vulnerable for injury.

While it is important to let your feet "breathe," flip-flops are footwear best worn during times of relaxation, not when you plan to spend the day walking.

Diabetes Care reported the size of the spinal cord is significantly diminished long before symptoms of nerve damage appear in adults with diabetes. The study found that MRI assessment of the spinal cord may be helpful for detecting silent signs of spinal nerve damage in patients with diabetes.

Diabetes can lead to nerve damage or "diabetic neuropathy" -- a painful condition that causes a range of symptoms from a tingling sensation or numbness in the toes and fingers to paralysis. Doctors studied 84 men with type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes, 24 nondiabetic controls and eight subjects with an inherited neuropathy. Nineteen of the diabetic subjects had no diabetic neuropathy, 23 had silent or "subclinical" neuropathy and 39 had clinically detectable neuropathy. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the spine showed that the spinal cord area, corrected for age, height and weight, was 67.5 mm in diabetics without neuropathy, 62.4 mm in diabetics with subclinical neuropathy and 57.2 mm in diabetics with overt neuropathy. There were no significant differences in the spinal cord area of diabetics without neuropathy and nondiabetic controls.

Spinal shrinkage may be a silent sign of diabetic neuropathy - but we're not taking this lying down. We hear you, loud and clear! Those of you degenerate attributes of diabetic neuropathy who think you can go about your business undetected - you've got another thing coming. Watch your back. Modern medicine is coming up with impressive treatments and we're gonna come at you like a spider monkey!

Diabetics almost always have problems with their feet.  Poor circulation causes swelling in the legs and feet, minor trauma like a stumped toe that does not heal, callus formations, nerve damage, are all problems with the feet when you are a diabetic. So how do you prevent some of these problems from happening? Take care of your feet daily.

Inspect your feet every day for bruises, cuts, sores, or changes in your toenails. Pay more attention to minor injuries if you drop something on your foot or kick something accidentally. Wash your feet daily with a mild soap and luke warm water and be sure to dry between your toes very good. Also use a moisture cream if your feet are dry to prevent cracking but make sure you rub it in well and don't leave lotion in between your toes. Keep your toenails trimmed and never cut into the side of the nail. Always cut straight across the nail and file away any sharp corners or edges. Do not try to remove or cut off a callus or corn on your own. Always see a Podiatrist for that so you don't injure yourself. Buy shoes based on comfort and fit and make sure your shoes are not too tight. Measure your foot every time you buy shoes. Shoes should fit both the length and the width of the foot leaving plenty of room for the toes and should not need a "break-in" period. Avoid high heels, toe rings, and pointed toes. Be sure to wear shoes all the time and do not go barefoot. This reduces the risks of an injury to your foot, even when walking around in your home. Massage your feet daily to increase blood flow and to give yourself a little treat that feels good and relaxes you.

Taking care of yourself means taking care of every part of your body so don't forget the part that carries the load.

According to the results of a new British study carried out by researchers at Wolverhampton, poor medical care for feet is to blame for the current high rate of diabetes-related amputations. In a nutshell, amputation rates can be misleading to the casual observer. On the one hand, such statistics do reflect the impact that diabetes is having on a given population. On the other hand, however, they also reflect how effectively the disease is being managed. The core problem? UK doctors, the researchers say, are not adequately educating diabetic patients on the critical importance of foot care. Good care of the feet is essential in order to prevent nerve and blood vessel damage, which is a condition associated with diabetes that can lead to amputation. Specifically, a survey of elderly diabetic patients who had undergone limb amputations revealed that ninety percent of them had been considered high risk prior to the procedure, and yet had not been offered specialist care. Also, two in five of the patients had not been shown how to prevent and treat infections that can lead to amputation. I'm assuming the situation here in the US is very similar. I wonder if anyone has studied this issue in an American context?