Can I walk on a diabetic foot ulcer?

Written by WISH Clinic

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Traci A. Kimball, MD, MBA

Last medical review

Sometimes putting pressure on a healing diabetic foot ulcer for even a few minutes can reverse the healing that happened up to that point. Special shoes, a brace, a cast, a wheelchair or crutches take the pressure off, and don’t walk barefoot unless your provider says it’s OK.

Start with this: sometimes putting pressure on the healing ulcer for even a few minutes can reverse the healing that happened up to that point.

A few minutes. That changes what this question is really about. It’s not a question of doing too much. It’s a question of whether the foot is protected at all when it is used.

The reason is in the cause. Foot ulcers are partly caused by too much pressure on one part of your foot. Pressure is not an obstacle to healing that arrives from outside. It’s part of what made the wound.

The answer is not simply to stop walking. It’s to take the pressure off the ulcer while you move. Your provider may ask you to wear special shoes, a brace, or a special cast. You may need to use a wheelchair or crutches until the ulcer has healed. These devices will take the pressure off the ulcer area, and this will help speed healing.

Also: do not walk barefoot unless your provider tells you it is OK.

Pain is not a reliable guide here. Diabetic ulcers are often painless, because of decreased sensation in the feet. A foot that does not hurt is not a foot that is being protected.

This advice is for diabetic foot ulcers and does not carry over. With a venous leg ulcer, the advice is to take a walk or exercise every day, because being active helps improve blood flow. Each is correct for its own wound. Which one applies to you depends on what wound you have, and that is established by examination.

What to watch for

Contact your provider if you have any of these signs of infection: redness, increased warmth, or swelling around the wound; extra drainage; pus; odor; fever or chills; increased pain; increased firmness around the wound.

Also contact your provider if your foot ulcer is very white, blue, or black.

Because diabetic ulcers are often painless, the absence of pain tells you nothing about how the foot is doing. Regular exams with your provider are the best way to find out if you are at higher risk of foot ulcers. Your provider should check your sensation with a tool called a monofilament and check your foot pulses.

Wound Wizard is general education and can’t assess your foot or your situation. Your own clinician is the right person to ask about walking on it.

What we look at

  • Examining and measuring the ulcer
  • Checking sensation with a monofilament and checking foot pulses
  • Deciding how pressure will be taken off the ulcer
  • Fitting or arranging shoes, a brace, a cast, or crutches

Related questions

Sources

  1. Diabetes - foot ulcers — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000077.htm
  2. Venous ulcers - self-care — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000744.htm
Non-healing wound care at The WISH Clinic

The Wish Clinic®

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