Download ABMSP April 2016 Better Living with Diabetes Press Release_Rev1

Contact:
Jenna Webb
[email protected]
888.852.1442
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Save the Feet! Better Living with Diabetes
New York, NY (April 27, 2016) – The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
that currently 29.1 million people—or 9.3% of the population—have diabetes. Many of these people
deal with serious problems in their feet as a result of the nerve and circulation issues caused by
diabetes. Worse—they may be at risk for eventual amputation if their foot issues are not treated
properly. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry (ABMSP) recommends that patients
living with diabetes seek professional treatment with a board-certified podiatrist to help them both
improve their quality of life and reduce the threat of ongoing foot problems or potential amputations.
Diabetes involves the feet by causing problems with nerves, circulation, muscles, joints, and infections.
These problems in turn can contribute to orthopedic problems including deformities, gait abnormalities,
hammer toes, large calluses, ulcerations, dry skin, and other problems. Diabetes can also cause a
frightening condition: numbness that masks the detection of important symptoms. “Many diabetic
patients have peripheral neuropathy in their feet,” said Kenneth B. Rehm, D.P.M., Diplomate of the
American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry. Rehm is ABMSP-certified in diabetic foot wounds and
limb preservation and salvage. “Neuropathy shows up in many different ways, as dry skin, toenail
problems, or loss of sensation. But the problem is that a lot of people with diabetes don’t realize their
feet have gone numb.” Patients with diabetes must be vigilant, Rehm said. “If they take care of their
feet, they don’t have to lose their feet or legs. Trouble doesn’t have to happen.”
“Almost all diabetic foot problems can be prevented, if they’re caught early enough,” Rehm continued.
He points out that a preventive care treatment plan guided by a podiatrist who is board-certified in
diabetic foot care is a patient’s best course of action. “Diabetes is an epidemic condition and requires
accredited, certified levels of care for best outcomes,” he said. “Patients owe it to themselves to protect
their quality of living by protecting their feet. A physician who is board-certified in diabetic foot wounds,
limb preservation and salvage, surgery, and primary care can help.”
About ABMSP
The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry was originally organized by podiatrists for the
purpose of granting board certification to office-based and ambulatory foot surgeons. Incorporated in
1986 as the American Institute of Foot Medicine (AIFM), the name was changed in 1992 to better reflect
its mission. The Board now offers certification to qualified podiatrists in all areas of podiatric practice:
Primary Care in Podiatric Medicine; Foot and Ankle Surgery, both in a hospital setting and in outpatient
facilities; Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Wounds and Foot Wear; and Limb Preservation and
Salvage. The Board’s certification examinations have been approved for reimbursement by the VA as an
educational benefit for eligible veterans. The American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry is the
only podiatric certification program accredited by URAC (formerly the Utilization Review Accreditation
Commission) and by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under the ISO International
Standards ANSI/ISO/IEC/17024:2003 for Accreditation for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons. For
more information, visit www.abmsp.org.
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