How Your Podiatrist Helps Prevent MS Foot Complications
This is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, so we're talking about MS and how it affects your feet. We’ll also explain how our Westfield podiatrist protects your feet when living with MS!
Why Does MS Affect Your Feet?
Many people with MS also have fibromyalgia or arthritis. And both of those conditions can be painful. But sometimes, MS directly causes pain in your feet and legs and may actually damage your nerves.
We know that MS attacks your myelin sheath. That’s a protective covering for your brain, spinal cord and nervous system. Problems start when the myelin sheath is attacked and when plaques and lesions hit your nervous system. That's when you may notice pain in your feet, legs and the rest of your body.
Of course, many conditions cause nerve pain in your feet and legs. (That includes diabetes, which often comes with peripheral neuropathy.) But MS nerve damage isn’t just painful. It can also make it more difficult to walk, which may lead to gait-related foot problems.
And don’t forget: MS can also impact your vision, making it more difficult to properly care for your feet. Or to notice foot problems in their early stages, when they’re easiest to treat. Luckily, we can protect your feet after an MS diagnosis so you experience less MS-related pain and complications that may impact your feet and mobility.
How Your Podiatrist Prevents MS Complications
As we mentioned before, MS can impact your sight. It can also leave you stiff and make it harder to move. Both of those factors can make it difficult to do routine things such as cutting your toenails.
Of course, our podiatrist knows proper nail trimming is crucial to your foot health. It can help prevent ingrown toenails. That’s why we are happy to help people with MS by offering proper nail care. We can also check for nail or foot infections because you may miss them if you have MS-related vision troubles.
When we see MS patients, we also see many cases of foot drop. (That’s a condition that makes it harder to lift the front of your foot.) Plus, mobility challenges could leave you dragging your feet which puts more pressure on parts of your foot and your toes. Now, friction and pressure add up to an increased risk for corns and calluses. Both of which we can treat quickly in our Westfield podiatry practice.
Finally, let’s talk about MS-related foot numbness. Remember, MS can trigger nerve damage, leaving you with neuropathy symptoms that can be treated with medications or MLS Laser Therapy. The choice will depend on your particular disease progression, but one thing won’t change. Seeing your podiatrist can offer MS pain relief. It can also prevent complications that affect your long-term foot health so make an appointment for an MS foot evaluation!