Diabetic Laser Therapy in Podiatry: A Major Win for Better Patient Care

Diabetic foot complications are among the most difficult aspects of diabetic podiatry.

Chronic ulcers, ischemia, recurrent infections and delayed wound healing can mean long treatment cycles, high re-hospitalization rates and amputation risks.

For podiatrists and wound specialists, clinical management means balancing aggressive treatment and comfort and patient safety. 

Diabetic laser therapy is changing this paradigm by providing a substantial non-invasive scientific modality to stimulate healing to provide a faster and better healed outcome.

Where Should Podiatrists Add Laser Therapy

Laser therapy provides a mode of focused light energy therapy to stimulate or augment natural healing processes in the body.

When applied to diabetic foot conditions, the focused light penetrates the tissue stimulating blood circulation, increases cellular metabolism focused on wound healing and addresses inflammation.

For the podiatrist, this means the ability to treat ulcers, infections and pain with less chance of a complication compared to surgical intervention. 

Laser therapy is particularly important with high-risk diabetic patients, as any type of surgical intervention, even minor, could lead to disastrous foot complications.

Main Uses in Podiatric Medicine

Diabetic laser therapy has various uses in podiatric practice, and is an excellent treatment modality for any clinic.

Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Chronic ulcers are now the number one cause for hospitalization in diabetic patients.

Laser therapy helps wounds heal faster by stimulating fibroblast proliferation, speeding collagen production, and improving microcirculation.

This not only helps accelerate healing but also reduces the chance of infection and decreasing the need for frequent debridement.

Neuropathic Pain and Inflammation

Many diabetic patients suffer from peripheral neuropathy that produces chronic pain and burning or numbness.

Laser therapy helps minimize nerve inflammation while increasing blood flow to the affected tissues, and we have seen measurable pain relief over 3-5 sessions.

Onychomycosis (Nail Fungus)

Very few diabetic patients are free from nail infections, which, if left untreated, could lead to more serious complications.

Using laser wavelengths with good penetration, we target fungal organisms located in the subungual areas and nails matrix, disrupting biofilms and allowing the nail to regenerate without using systemic antifungals.

General Foot Therapy

There are many more issues beyond ulcers and fungal infections that laser therapy can facilitate, such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, and chronic foot pain.

Because laser therapy minimizes inflammation and promotes repair, it can be a beneficial complementary treatment in diabetes and within the podiatric treatment team.

How The Technology Works

The mechanism of action of diabetic laser therapy is relatively simple, and very powerful as well.

When low level laser energy is introduced to the body, it is absorbed by the mitochondria within the body’s cells, and prepares the cells to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy source required for cellular repair and regeneration.

This biological stimulation increases local blood flow, increases oxygen supply, and modulates inflammatory mediators.

For podiatrists, this means wounds close faster, infections resolve faster, and patients are not experiencing as much pain during the healing process.

What to Expect From a Treatment

Introducing laser therapy into your podiatry clinic is simply done.

After an initial assessment and cleaning of the wound, the laser is directed to the area with a handheld device, for a few minutes a session. 

Typically, patients report a slight warm feeling, and no anesthesia is needed, and there is no downtime.

For diabetic foot ulcers, treatment usually begins two or three sessions per week at the acute phase, tapering down to once a week, or once a month maintenance once healing is established.

For toenail fungus or neuropathic pain, protocols can easily be adjusted per the severity of the condition.

Benefits for Patients and Clinics

For patients, the benefits are clear: quicker healing, decreased pain, decreased risk of infection, and fewer hospital visits.

For podiatric physicians and diabetic care teams, laser therapy represents a validated, evidence-based adjunct to their current protocols.

Laser therapy may decrease reliance on antibiotics, decrease incidences of aggressive debridement, and increase patient satisfaction, which is particularly important for a long-term diabetics foot care program.

The portability of modern laser components makes them conducive to outpatient clinics and smaller-size practices allowing podiatrists an increase in treatment availability on a reduced scale without a complete overhaul of the treatment delivery process.

Raising the Bar for Diabetic Foot Care

Diabetes is becoming the world’s leading disease. Therefore, the need for stated advanced patient-centered, podiatrist-based solutions is growing at an increasing rate.

Diabetic laser therapy is the next step; a way to advance effective wound management with safety, science, and convenience.

Podiatrists adopting these modalities have the potential to obtain improvement outcomes with their patients while improving their standing as a modern day leader of effective diabetic foot care.