Clinical and functional correlates of foot pain in diabetic patients

Purpose: Patients with diabetes mellitus frequently suffer from foot pain. This pain seems to be a neglected area in studies on the diabetic foot. The purpose of this study was to identify clinical variables associated with foot pain in diabetic patients. in addition, the relationships between foot pain and several functional impairments and disabilities were explored. Method: The research group consisted of 29 diabetic patients with any symptoms possibly associated with a diabetic foot, who were referred to podiatry. The relationships between several clinical measures and foot pain were analysed by means of Mann-Whitney U-tests. In addition, Spearman rank correlations coefficients were computed to assess the relationships between foot pain and measures of functional health. Results: Diabetic patients suffering from sensory neuropathy experience more severe foot pain. Furthermore, patients with more severe foot pain experience more fatigue, more disabilities in walking and a lower level of affective well-being. Conclusion: Based on these findings this paper concludes that foot pain in diabetic patients is an important impairment, which deserves further scientific attention.