Winter outdoor activities and sports — like ice skating, sledding, skiing and snowboarding — also increase your chances of injuring your feet. Colder weather can lead to foot issues for other reasons. For instance:

• Winter boots can squeeze toes unnaturally, increasing the risk of problems like bunions.
• Cold temperatures can cause frostbite, which most often occurs in the toes and can result in permanent damage and numbness.
• Slips and falls can cause stress fractures, tiny cracks that can occur in the bones of the feet or other parts of the body.

About Stress Fractures

Stress fractures can be very painful and can lead to a complete break if not treated — and they’re more common in winter. Athletes who run or jump frequently are commonly afflicted by stress fractures, since these activities put extra strain on the foot. However, non-athletes can get them too, and even standing on a hard floor for a long time can produce a stress fracture.

Symptoms of stress fracture include pain, swelling, redness and bruising, and stress fractures often come on quickly. The symptoms may subside if the person stops the activity; however, they often return after the activity resumes, and the pain can be worse. Foot doctors (podiatrists) can diagnose stress fractures through physical examination and, if needed, can schedule an imaging test like an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis.

At first, a doctor may recommend rest, icing the painful area, elevating the foot and using anti-inflammatory medications at home. During this time, the doctor may also recommend wearing a cast boot as the stress fracture heals. Although it’s rare, surgery may be needed to treat this condition.

Protecting Your Feet in the Winter

Here are some tips to reduce your risk of foot injury and pain in the colder winter months:

• Build strength to avoid falls. Building leg muscle strength and performing exercises that help improve balance can help you avoid falls in winter and at any time of the year. Read the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services article, “Lower Your Risk of Falling,” for more tips.
• Wear footwear designed for winter and wear it consistently. It can be tempting to briefly step outside in your slippers to take out the trash, check the mail or call the dog back into the house. But if you do, you’re at greater risk of slipping and falling. Make it a habit to never step outside the door unless you’re wearing proper footwear.
• Check that last year’s boots still fit properly. As we age, our feet often get wider. Before stepping out for the first time this winter season, make sure your boots still fit properly.
• Choose water-resistant footwear. Keeping your feet dry is important to help avoid injury and maintain foot health. If the footwear you own is not water-resistant, you may be more likely to develop blisters, calluses or other foot problems. If your boots aren’t water-resistant, consider applying a water-resistant spray or wax to them.
• Keep floors dry. Wearing winter boots into the house can leave puddles, which can make floors slippery. Keep a dry mop or old towel near the door so you can wipe up any snow or ice.

That’s because diabetes itself not only causes problems related to blood sugar, but it can also damage the bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles and nerve tissues.

Although some joint conditions cannot be cured, many can be treated using therapies like anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections or minimally invasive surgical procedures.

If you, a family member or a friend has diabetes, it is helpful to learn about the joint conditions that are most commonly associated with the disease. That way, you can recognize any symptoms and make an appointment with your doctor for early diagnosis.

Joint Conditions Commonly Associated with Diabetes

Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)

People with diabetes can be at a greater risk for frozen shoulder, a condition in which the shoulder joint gradually becomes more painful and the range of motion becomes increasingly limited. Frozen shoulder can improve by itself, but it can take months or even years. Steroids can often help.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome in those with diabetes can be challenging. That’s because people with diabetes may also have peripheral neuropathy, a nerve issue that causes many of the same symptoms as carpal tunnel syndrome, such as tingling and numbness. A doctor may schedule nerve conduction studies to help diagnose the underlying issue.

Charcot Foot

This condition causes swelling in the foot (and sometimes the ankle) and can progress until it causes deformity. Other signs to look for include redness, a feeling of warmth in the foot and pain. A doctor may be able to treat it using a foot cast.

Diabetic Hand Syndrome

This disorder causes the hands to become waxy and thickened due to an excess of collagen that develops directly below the skin. This syndrome also causes finger movement to become extremely limited.

Dupuytren’s Contracture

Dupuytren’s contracture is an abnormal, painless thickening of the connective fascia tissue located beneath the skin. Eventually, it can cause a deformity in which one or more fingers stays bent toward the palm.

Osteoarthritis

People who are overweight or obese are at risk for type 2 diabetes, and they are also at risk of developing osteoarthritis because the excess weight puts more strain on their joints. When people with diabetes reach the age of 50, they should talk to their doctor about their risk, since the disease becomes more likely with age. There are several non-surgical treatment options available for osteoarthritis.

Osteoporosis

People with diabetes can be at higher risk for a bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis. The bones can ultimately become so weak that they can break as a result of a minor fall. They can even break from something as simple as sneezing or coughing.

Trigger Finger

Inflammation of the tendons in the finger can cause it to bend, resulting in a condition called trigger finger. The finger can make a popping or clicking sound when a person tries to extend the hand or fingers. A doctor can treat it using splints, medications or if needed, surgery.

Talk to Your Orthopaedic Doctor

In addition to recognizing these signs and getting help early on, another way to better manage and minimize the discomfort of diabetes-related joint pain is exercise. Although it may sometimes be challenging to want to exercise, doing so can help improve both diabetes and arthritis. Talk to your doctor about what exercise might be appropriate for you if you have diabetes, joint pain or both.

If it has, it means you could realize two major benefits before the year is out: saving costs and getting the orthopedic procedure you need to treat your joint pain.

How does it work? After you have met your deductible, your health plan will pay all or a portion of covered services for the rest of the year, depending on the terms of your individual plan. But — if you wait until January 1, 2019 when your deductible resets to zero, you’ll be paying much more for the same procedure, since you’ll have to first pay out of pocket to meet your deductible.

Minimally-Invasive Orthopedic Procedure May Be an Option

Oftentimes, orthopedic procedures can be performed using minimally invasive techniques. That means if your procedure is performed before the end of the year, your recovery may be quicker than a traditional surgery — so you can be back in even better shape than you were before soon after the New Year begins.

One minimally invasive technique called arthroscopy might be right for you. It can be used to treat a variety of orthopedic conditions and is offered on an outpatient basis. Arthroscopy allows a doctor to see directly into the joint using a small device with a light attached to a very thin tube that is connected to a video apparatus called an arthroscope. This allows a doctor to both diagnose a problem and treat it.

Benefits of Arthroscopic Surgery Include:

• Less anesthesia is needed
• Less pain
• Smaller incisions
• Reduced blood loss
• Reduced risk of infection
• No hospital stay
• Faster recovery
• Less scarring

Start Out the New Year with Less Pain

If you are experiencing pain in a specific area, there are procedures you can schedule before the end of the year that can help. For instance:

• Back Pain: There are many different types of back pain, along with a variety of orthopedic procedures for treatment. One is called discectomy, which removes a herniated disk so it no longer pinches a nerve.
• Foot Pain: Bunion surgery and hammertoe correction are examples of orthopedic procedures a doctor can perform that correct a deformity, as well as relieve pain.
• Hand and Wrist Pain: If you are tired of coping with the numbness, tingling and pain that carpal tunnel syndrome is causing, now could be a good time to schedule a carpal tunnel release procedure. During the procedure, a ligament is cut to release pressure on the median nerve causing the pain.
• Shoulder Pain: Rotator cuff tendinitis is a condition that usually occurs over time. An orthopedic surgeon can perform rotator cuff repair surgery to treat it.

How to Schedule Your Orthopedic Procedure

• In order to ensure your orthopedic provider will be able to fit you in the schedule before the end of the year, make your appointment as soon as possible so you do not miss the opportunity.
• Start by scheduling a consultation, if you haven’t already had one. During the consultation, your surgeon will educate you about the procedure and will explain benefits and risks.
• At the end of the consultation, you can schedule your appointment. Your orthopedic surgeon’s staff will help you and will discuss dates that are available prior to the end of the year.

One final tip: If you’re not certain your annual deductible has been met, check your plan statement and call your health insurance provider to confirm.