Offloading means taking the weight off the ulcer, which is why taking pressure off your foot ulcer is its own step in care. Foot ulcers are partly caused by too much pressure on one part of your foot.
Pressure is not an obstacle that arrives after the wound. It is part of what made it, and it continues unless something changes.
In practice, offloading means equipment rather than instruction. 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.
Here’s why it is taken so seriously: sometimes putting pressure on the healing ulcer for even a few minutes can reverse the healing that happened up to that point.
Offloading is not the same as resting, and that difference is worth keeping. The devices let you move while the ulcer is protected. The point is not to stop moving — it is to not put weight on the ulcer.
One rule applies in all circumstances: do not walk barefoot unless your provider tells you it is OK.
Footwear carries the same idea into everyday life. Be sure to wear shoes that do not put a lot of pressure on only one part of your foot — canvas, leather or suede; laces, Velcro or buckles; properly fitting and not too tight; and no pointed or open toes.
Sticking with it is harder than it sounds because the foot usually does not hurt. Diabetic ulcers are often painless, because of decreased feeling in the feet, so there is no feedback telling you the device has shifted or the weight is back on the wound.