Typically, when a patient has stable eschar, you want to protect the eschar. So what we recommend just depends. One of our surgeons here in the wound center does not want a patient walking at all wheather they have eschar or any other type of heel wound. He advises this even if it is on the posterior aspect and not a surface that they will actually ambulate on. But, what we frequently recommend is that the patient get some kind of heel relief shoe. Consider the need for offloading. A company called Darco® makes a Darco® OrthoWedge with heel relief so that if a patient has a heel ulcer, they can wear this, and it would keep the pressure off the heel until it is healed. Typically, we do not want them wearing shoes even though it is stable eschar. Wearing shoes and putting pressure on it can make it go from stable to unstable. You really want to keep the pressure and the weight off of it until it heals completely.
Jennifer Gardner-Harbison, PT, DPT, MHA, CWS
Dr. Gardner-Harbison has been a physical therapist since 1997, with the last 20+ years concentrated solely on wound care. She has been a Certified Wound Specialist since 2001. Prior to entering the industry, she served as the Manager of Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen at Inspira Medical Center Woodbury for 10 years. In 2017, she moved to the industry side of wound care. In 2026, she returned to her PT roots and joined Fox Rehab. Dr. Gardner also sat on the APTA Integumentary Specialty Council for 3 years, during which the first certification exam for Wound Management Clinical Specialist was administered. After her term on the Council, she also served as a subject matter expert for the Wound Management Certification exam.
Related Courses
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This webinar introduces participants to the different types of wounds commonly found in patients with neurological impairments. It provides clinicians with basic treatment and risk reduction techniques to utilize in their practice settings. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTA.
