Check both feet every day
Look at the top, the sides and the SOLE of both feet. Use a mirror or ask someone to look for you.
- Every day
- Takes 2 minutes
Should feel: Skin that is clean and unbroken Should not feel: Any cut, blister or colour change
Home / Patient library / Exercise sheets / Sheet 43
Diabetic foot care guide
Foot & ankle · Diabetic foot care
This sheet is about checking, not exercising. Two minutes a day prevents most serious foot problems.
A4 PDF, 0.5 MB. Free to download — no sign-up, no email address needed.
Wash, dry and moisturise
Wash your feet daily in lukewarm water and dry them well, especially between the toes. Rub moisturising cream on the tops and soles, but not between the toes. Do not cut corns or hard skin yourself, and never use corn plasters or corn-removing liquids.
- Every day
Should feel: Soft, dry, uncracked skin Should not feel: Cracks at the heel, or wet skin between the toes
Cut your nails straight across
Cut the nail straight across, and leave both corners standing clear of the skin. Never dig down into the corner. If you cannot see or reach your feet well, or your feet are numb, ask a family member or a foot-care professional to do it.
- After a bath
Should feel: A square nail with both corners clear Should not feel: Never cut down into the corner, and never use a blade
Shake out your shoes
Feel inside both shoes with your hand before you put them on, every single time.
- Every time
- Before wearing
Should feel: An empty, smooth shoe Should not feel: A stone, a nail, a rough seam
Test water with your elbow
Never test bath water with your foot. Use your elbow.
- Every bath
Should feel: Comfortably warm Should not feel: Hot water. If it feels hot to your elbow, add cold. Never use hot water bottles, heaters or hot fomentation on your feet.
Wear footwear indoors
Keep a pair of soft chappals or slippers with a back strap by the bed. Never walk barefoot, even at home. If we have told you not to put weight on a foot, do not walk on it at all, even in chappals.
- Always
Should feel: Protected feet Should not feel: Bare feet on any floor
Look after your cast or boot
If we have put you in a cast or special boot, keep it dry and do not take it off unless we tell you. Check your OTHER foot every day too, because it is doing extra work.
- Every day
Should feel: The cast comfortable and dry Should not feel: Rubbing, a bad smell, wetness, or the cast feeling loose or tight. If so, come the same day
Come the same day if
- ANY break in the skin, blister or crack — come the same day, even if it does not hurt
- A hot or swollen foot, even without pain
- Redness, discharge or a black area
- A sudden change in the shape of the foot
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