Endocrine Abstracts

Diabetes is a chronic condition that predisposes to a wide range of foot problems that potentially end with ulcer formation. The purpose of this manuscript is to report 68 participants’ diabetic foot problems self-treated with complementary therapies. Participants were recruited from nine healthcare facilities in Jordan and interviewed via survey. Their responses to an individual question seeking information about complementary therapy usage was analysed using content analysis. The content analysis identified a wide range of foot problems that included: fungus, ulcers, corns, foot pain and other problems. The identified problems are common among sufferers of diabetes, and potentially may develop into ulcers. Accordingly, health education programs need to consider common foot problems among those with diabetes, and lifelong management need to be tailored to reduce the possibility of developing ulcers.

Comments/keywords: Content analysis, complementary therapy, diabetic foot, Jordan, foot problems, prevention, neuropathy.