Leg & Foot Care

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At Hawthorne Pharmacy and Medical Equipment we take foot health seriously, especially for our diabetic customers. Diabetes is a serious disease that can develop from the lack of insulin production in the body or due to the inability of the body's insulin to perform its normal functions

Some diabetics suffer from NEUROPATHY or loss of feeling in their hands or feet. Because this goes hand in hand with POOR CIRCULATION, diabetics can develop minor cuts, scrapes, blisters or pressure sores and not be aware of them. If these minor injuries are left untreated, they can become serious and lead to ulceration or possibly amputation.

If you have diabetes, you need to check out your feet daily!

  • Check for blisters, cuts and scratches - even between your toes.
  • Wash you feet every day.
  • Test the bath water with your hands or elbow before getting in water that is too hot.
  • If your feet are cold at night, wear loose fitting socks.
  • Check the insides of your shoes for rocks or rough areas.
  • See your physician regularly and have your feet checked at every appointment.

See the FOOT.COM page for more foot health information or call us at Hawthorne's for a free foot screening. There are many products available to help with your feet ranging from special seamless socks (Apex Ambulator Socks) to orthotics for your shoes to special depth shoes.

Compression Hose
There are many terms relating to leg therapies that get intermingled and sometimes mixed up. These are support hose, compression hose, and TED stockings. To some, these all mean the same thing, but they are not the same at all.

Support hose usually consist of spandex and elastic and although they give us a snug feeling we get no therapeutic value from their squeeze.

Compression hosiery, on the other hand, are graduated from the ankle up, with the most support there. This gives us relief from tired, swollen legs, venous insufficiency and varicose veins. These stockings are for ambulatory patients where the return of blood to the heart is fighting the effects of gravity. Even the ancient Egyptians realized the therapeutic effects of compression therapy as bandaging their legs made them feel better and helped heal unsightly venous ulcers. Over the counter stockings range in compression from 12- 20 mmHg. Prescription compression levels range from 20-30 mmHg and can go as high as 60+ mmHg.

TED stockings or anti-embolism stockings are used primarily in the hospital setting for patients to prevent blood clots. They are not indicated for ambulatory patients, however the term TED stockings gets used for just about every type of compression stocking available.

Need More Information about Compression Hose? Please visit www.mediusa.com

It is important for your compression hose fitter to understand the differences. Then based on your doctor's prescription and by interviewing you, they can provide you with a compression stocking that will best serve your individual needs. It is important that once you have visited your doctor, you choose a knowledgeable fitter, who not only will provide you with the right product, but can help you with tricks to putting them on and taking them off.

Cost is a big factor for many of our customers, since Medicare does not pay for this type of therapy. Some insurance companies do, but regardless, it is very important to take care of your legs. At Hawthorne Pharmacy and Medical Equipment companies, you get a high level of customer service along with good products. Check our About Us page to choose the fitter closest to you.