Services
Diabetic Foot Care
Reviewed by Anureet Selach, Podiatrist · Australian Podiatry Association · Registered with AHPRA
Last updated
Foot care matters more with diabetes than almost any other routine health task, for one reason: diabetes can remove your ability to notice that something has gone wrong.
A blister you can’t feel, in a shoe that rubs, on a foot that heals slowly, is the sequence behind most serious diabetic foot complications. A regular review is what interrupts it.
What diabetes does to feet
- Peripheral neuropathy — numbness, tingling or loss of sensation. You stop noticing injuries.
- Peripheral vascular disease — reduced blood flow, so healing slows and infection risk rises.
- Dry, cracked skin — nerve changes affect the sweat glands, and fissures become entry points for bacteria.
- Changes in foot shape, including Charcot foot, which create new pressure points and affect balance.
According to Diabetic Foot Australia, around 50,000 Australians are living with diabetic foot disease and more than 4,000 diabetes-related amputations are carried out each year.
What a review covers
A diabetic foot review is a clinical assessment, not a nail trim:
- Sensory testing — checking for nerve damage
- Vascular assessment — checking blood flow to the feet
- Skin and nail inspection — integrity, pressure areas, early breakdown
- Ulcer risk assessment
- Education — footwear, hygiene, and what to look for between visits
- A report to your GP or diabetes educator where you’d like one
Reviews are recommended one to four times a year, set by your risk profile. Your podiatrist will tell you which end of that range you’re at.
This complements your diabetes care. It doesn’t replace check-ups with your GP, endocrinologist or diabetes team.
Five things that make a difference
1. Check your feet daily. Look for blisters, redness, cracks or wounds. Use a mirror if you can’t see the soles easily, or ask someone.
2. Moisturise daily. Plain, unscented, everywhere except between the toes — damp skin between toes causes its own problems.
3. Wear shoes that fit properly. Extra depth, no seams that rub. Check inside for stones before you put them on, every time.
4. Never treat a foot lesion yourself. No corn plasters, no wart paints, no cutting. Over-the-counter corn treatments are acid-based and dangerous on a neuropathic foot.
5. Get anything new looked at quickly. A change that would be minor on any other foot isn’t minor on this one.
When to be seen urgently
Don’t wait for a scheduled review if you notice a wound that isn’t healing, new redness or swelling, warmth in one foot compared with the other, any discharge or odour, or a sudden change in foot shape. Call the clinic and say you have diabetes and a foot problem — that gets triaged differently.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I have my feet checked?
Between once and four times a year, set by your risk rather than by a standard interval. Good sensation, good circulation and no history of ulceration sits at the annual end. Neuropathy, reduced blood flow, a foot deformity or a previous ulcer moves you up. Your podiatrist will tell you where you sit and why.
Does Medicare cover it?
It can. If your GP prepares a chronic disease management plan, Medicare rebates up to five allied health visits a year across all providers combined — item 10962 for podiatry, currently $63.40 back. See the Medicare rebate page for how it works.
What's the fee?
An initial diabetic assessment is $130 (item 005) and an extended diabetic assessment is $130 (item 016). Full list on the fees page.
Does this replace seeing my GP or endocrinologist?
No. A foot review sits alongside your diabetes management, it doesn't substitute for any part of it. With your consent your podiatrist can send a report back to your GP or diabetes educator so everyone is working from the same information.
My feet feel fine. Do I still need this?
Yes, and that's the reason the review exists. Nerve damage removes the warning system — a blister, a stone in the shoe or a small cut stops hurting, which is exactly when it turns into something serious. Feeling fine is not the same as being fine.
Ready to book?
Appointments Monday to Saturday, with confirmation by SMS.