Study by Charles Sturt students aims to relieve pain of diabetes

Liam Abbey and Jack Archer are seeking volunteers to help them test treatments for diabetic neuropathy, which is damage to the nervous system caused by altered blood glucose levels.

The students discovered the prevalence of diabetes in the community during their hospital placements.

“I noticed a lot of people had diabetes and the complications that arose from it,” Mr Archer said.

“The impact it has on people’s quality of life is large and I wanted to get more involved,” Mr Abbey said.

In two separate studies using elastic therapeutic tape, they will test its ability to manage balance, pain and loss of sensation.

Mr Abbey will test balance, while Mr Archer will test pain and sensation.

“When the tape is applied at a stretch, it lifts the skin and if there’s any inflammation, it relieves the pressure and relieves the pain,” Mr Archer said.

“Hopefully it stimulates the receptors in the skin and improves the sensation signals to the brain.”

Mr Abbey said lost sensation in the legs contributed to balance problems in some diabetics and hoped the tape would bring improvement.

The students require people 18 years or older who have been diagnosed with diabetes and consequential sensory loss or pain.

They will need to attend four sessions at the Orange CSU campus during the remainder of February and participate in a series of non-invasive examinations to determine functional balance, pain levels and the ability to sense contact on the skin.

They will also have tape applied to the skin and under Mr Abbey’s study, will keep the tape on for five days.

Participants can only select one study to join and are encouraged to contact the researchers for more information.

Mr Abbey can be contacted on 0403 185 188, while Mr Archer can be contacted on 0457 355 101.

danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au