Manhattan Podiatry Group • Diabetic Foot Ulcers & Slow-Healing Wounds
A blister, cut, or sore on the foot usually heals within a couple of weeks. When it doesn’t, something is getting in the way: pressure on the area, reduced blood flow, nerve damage, infection, or another health condition.
Slow-healing foot wounds are most common in people with diabetes, neuropathy, or circulation problems. At Manhattan Podiatry Group, Dr. Mark Sharobeem, DPM, treats foot wounds by finding and removing what is slowing healing, protecting the area from pressure, and coordinating with your other doctors when needed.
Any foot wound in a person with diabetes should be checked promptly, even if it does not hurt. Reduced feeling can hide how serious a wound is.
Repeated pressure from walking or shoes, reduced blood flow, nerve damage that hides pain, high blood sugar, infection, and smoking can all keep a wound from closing. Most stubborn wounds have more than one cause.
A sore that is not smaller after one to two weeks, drainage or odor, redness or warmth spreading around the wound, new swelling, black or darkened skin, or a callus with blood under it. Check your feet daily if you have diabetes.
Dr. Sharobeem measures and examines the wound, checks sensation and circulation, looks for pressure points and infection, and may order X-rays or other tests. If blood flow is a concern, he coordinates with vascular specialists.
Treatment usually includes regular cleaning and removal of unhealthy tissue (debridement), dressings suited to the wound, and offloading pressure with special shoes, padding, or a boot. Infection is treated promptly, and blood sugar control is part of the plan.
Once a wound heals, prevention matters: regular exams, protective footwear or custom orthotics, and care for calluses and nails. Learn more on our diabetic foot care page.
If you have diabetes or poor circulation and notice any new sore, blister, or skin break on your foot, call our office. Small wounds are much easier to heal when treated early.
* Note: Seek emergency care for a wound with spreading redness, fever, a foul odor, or a foot that is cold, pale, or blue. See our foot cellulitis page for infection warning signs.
Many wounds need visits every one to two weeks so the wound can be cleaned, measured, and checked for infection. The schedule depends on the wound and how it is healing.
Every step on a wound can reopen healing tissue. Offloading with special shoes, padding, or a boot is often the single most important part of healing a foot ulcer.
Yes, especially if the pressure or health factors that caused it remain. Regular foot exams, protective footwear, and daily self-checks lower the risk.
Dr. Mark Sharobeem, DPM, provides targeted conservative and surgical care at our Financial District practice. Click any condition below to explore symptoms and treatment options.
Request a free consultation with Dr. Mark Sharobeem, DPM, at 55 Broadway, Suite 602, New York, NY 10006.