I Have No Pain, So I Can Walk": Neuropathy and a Clinical Approach to Protecting the Injured Foot in Diabetes

In people with diabetes-related foot wounds, the absence of pain may lead patients to continue walking on the affected foot. However, loss of protective sensation associated with peripheral neuropathy can make it difficult to perceive pressure and repeated trauma. This clinical perspective describes the authors’ approach, which includes avoiding weight-bearing on the affected foot, daily wound assessment, positioning, and the use of a removable L-shaped splint. In the authors’ clinical practice, the splint is used to support the position of the foot and limit movement. It is removed during daily wound assessment and dressing and then reapplied. This approach is based on clinical experience. Its comparative effectiveness in relation to other methods has not been established and warrants further investigation.