Diabetic foot ulcer is the topic that I would like to explore further. The reason that I am interested in getting a better understanding of the condition is because my favorite aunty who was suffering from this condition ended up being a being amputated her left leg when her diabetic foot ulcer progressed.Therefore, my research question as I delve deeper into this topic is; Is there a role of physical activity and exercises in the management of a diabetic foot to prevent the risk of future amputation?
Diabetic foot can be defined as a chronic ulceration of the lower limb that arises as a complication of poorly controlled diabetes. In most cases, diabetic foot develops as a consequence of interplay of three factors namely neuropathy, vasculopathy and trauma (Noor, Zubair & Ahmad, 2015) . In cases of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, patients develop progressive diabetic neuropathy that mostly affects the feet. This neuropathy sets stage for the formation of a diabetic ulcer because it increases the likelihood of getting injured as the affected foot loses its protective sensation. Diabetic patients whose sugars are poorly controlled are also at risk of endothelial damage due to persistent hyperglycemia and when this happens, it sets stage for atherosclerosis formation. Atherosclerosis effectively reduces the flow of blood to the lower limbs leading to the development of peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD results in ischemia of the lower limbs thus increasing the probability of the affected leg to be infected as well as injured and further complicates the healing process. In most cases, peripheral neuropathy as well as peripheral vascular disease exist in the same patient and thus aid each other in the development of the diabetic foot particularly in the setting of trauma to the affected limb (Syafril, 2018). Other risk factors for the development of the diabetic foot include muscle weakness, reduced joint movement of the lower limbs and poor balance.
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With the understanding of the role of physical activity and exercises in improving the general health of an individual, I would want to explore whether they have a role to play in improving the outlook of diabetic foot and whether they can help to reduce the risk of future amputation.
References
Noor, S., Zubair, M., & Ahmad, J. (2015). Diabetic foot ulcer—A review on pathophysiology, classification and microbial etiology. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews , 9 (3), 192-199. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2015.04.007
Syafril, S. (2018). Pathophysiology diabetic foot ulcer. IOP Conference Series: Earth And Environmental Science , 125 , 012161. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/125/1/012161
