Can diabetes cause mobility problems?
Type 2 diabetes, a common metabolic disease in older people, is a major risk factor for functional limitation, impaired mobility, and loss of independence.
What is limited joint mobility?
Limited joint mobility (LJM), or diabetic cheiroarthropathy, is a condition characterized by hand stiffness resulting from flexion contractures of the fingers and by thickened, tight, waxy skin.

What is diabetic Cheiroarthropathy?
Diabetic cheiroarthropathy is characterised by an inability to fully extend the metacarpophalangeal joints and scleroderma-like skin thickening (Crispin & Cocer-Varela 2003). It is seen more frequently in insulin-dependent disease and associates with disease duration and vascular complications (Frost & Beischer 2001).
Does Type 1 diabetes affect mobility?
Summary. Most people with diabetes are fully mobile. Some are athletes. However, the physical and psychological consequences of diabetes can seriously impair mobility.
Does diabetes limit mobility?

Limited joint mobility (previously known as cheiroarthropathy) is common in patients with diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by limitation of joint movement that is most marked in the small joints of the hands [1,2].
Can diabetes affect your joints?
If you have diabetes, you’re at increased risk of various bone and joint disorders. Certain factors, such as nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), arterial disease and obesity, may cause these problems — but often the cause isn’t clear.
What causes limitation of joint motion?
Motion may be limited because of a problem within the joint, swelling of tissue around the joint, stiffness of the ligaments and muscles, or pain.
Does diabetes cause joint stiffness?
Limited joint mobility, also called diabetic hand syndrome or diabetic cheiroarthropathy, is stiffness of the joints most often affecting the small joints of the hands.
Can diabetes affect your ability to walk?
Chronically elevated blood sugars can also damage nerves that tell muscles how to move. This can lead to muscle weakness. You may have difficulty walking or getting up from a chair.
Can diabetes make your legs weak?
Patients with type 2 diabetes have muscle weakness in more areas of the leg than previously thought, according to new research. It is well known people with diabetes can suffer from muscle weakness of the lower limbs, such as the calf muscle, which increases the risk of falling.
What affects joint mobility?
7.4 Additional Limiting Factors of Joint Flexibility Ball joints such as hip and shoulder joints allow the greatest range of motion, while hinge joints between the phalanges limit movement along only one axis. Joint flexibility is determined by age, sex, and temperature.