Podiatrists Kick Off Diabetes Awareness Month with Holiday Sock Drive for the Needy

    SACRAMENTO, CA, November 01, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Why Socks?

Socks are the #1 clothing item requested by homeless shelters for those experiencing homelessness, yet they are the least donated. Being homeless often means walking miles daily wearing shoes that don't fit properly in worn-out, stiff, dirty socks.

"Socks are essential, especially in the cold, wet winter months. Socks are also inexpensive, making them affordable for most people to purchase and donate," says CPMA President Phong Le, DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine), a board-certified podiatric foot and ankle specialist and surgeon.

"Clean, dry socks play an important role in helping protect feet and in good foot hygiene and health. One of the main reasons someone homeless goes to the emergency room is because of a foot ailment. One of the best, simplest, and most cost-effective ways to prevent these expensive ER visits is to wear clean, dry socks regularly," said Dr. Le, a private practitioner in Elk Grove, CA.

"The aim of CPMA's Holiday Sock Drive is to put NEW socks on the feet of men, women, and children experiencing homelessness and/or are in need. New, clean, fresh socks can help protect feet from getting cold and wet and from developing blisters, fungal growth, or bacterial infections, leading to far worse medical consequences. This is especially true for those with diabetes."

"National Diabetes Awareness Month spotlights diabetes, a systemic disease whose many negative effects include nerve damage and restricted blood flow, especially in the outer extremities like feet, making them susceptible to loss of feeling and, therefore, more prone to injury and wounds that take significantly longer to heal, if at all. Simple things like daily foot inspections, clean, dry socks, properly fitting shoes, and seeing a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (aka podiatrist) for annual foot exams can go a long way in helping to prevent the loss of mobility, amputations, or premature death," says Dr. Le.

Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (podiatrists) specialize in treating the lower extremities. They are specially educated and rigorously trained in the care and treatment of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg.

CPMA's 2024 Holiday Sock Drive for the Needy runs from November 1st - December 1st. To find a CPMA Holiday Sock Drive donation location for new socks, please go to CalPMA.org.

The California Podiatric Medical Association – Doctors Dedicated to Keeping Californians on Their FEET: Healthy, Active, and Productive!

Founded in 1912, the California Podiatric Medical Association (CPMA) is a non-profit, professional organization representing California's doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) and their patients.

For more than 112 years, CPMA has advocated for doctors of podiatric medicine and their patients, promoted the public health, worked to ensure the highest standards of podiatric medical practice, and to enhance the quality and availability of foot health care in the Golden State.

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