Neurovascular Foot Assessment
There are a large amount of blood vessels and nerves which are located in the feet. It is for this reason that neurovascular foot assessments are an important part of keeping your feet health. This is especially the case for those with diabetes or those that have a history of peripheral vascular diseases.
Neurovascular foot assessments are made up of two components:
Neurological Testing:
The main things that the podiatrist will assess include:
- Pressure
- Temperature
- Blood flow and sweat regulation
- Muscle strength and control
- Balance and proprioception
Vascular Assessment:
Blood flow is essential to keep your nerves and tissues healthy. During your vascular assessment the podiatrist will feel for you pulses and check your capillary refilling time. Poor circulation is usually responsible for:
- Delayed healing
- Cold feet, cyanosed (blue)
- Muscle cramping/pain when walking or at rest
- Poor skin/nail conditions
- Hair loss on your feet
The combination of numb and insensitive feet results in cuts or injuries which may go unnoticed. Poor circulation increases the risks of the wounds becoming infected as well as increase healing time.
At AC Podiatry we are experienced with providing Neurovascular Assessments. We are also one of only a handful of clinics that have equipment available to measure Blood Pressure in the toes, which is considered amongst many, as the gold standard for assessing circulation.
