Question

I am a 58 year old diabetic with leg ulcers which do not seem to heal. Can you offer any help please, as they are debilitating, and very frustrating?

Answer

We can appreciate your frustration. The majority of diabetic leg amputations common to the lower leg and feet, begin with the formation of skin ulcers. Impaired blood circulation in diabetics may cause tissue necrotization (death of cells or tissue) and discoloration which leads to development of ulcers. The open ulcer is prone to infection and difficult to heal.
 

The goals of treatment are to relieve pain, speed recovery and heal the wound. Each patient's treatment plan is individualized, based on the patient's own health, medical condition and ability to care for the wound. Treatment options for all ulcers may include: Antibiotics, if an infection is present - Anti-platelet or anti-clotting medications to prevent a blood clot - Topical wound care therapies (applications to the wound itself) Often a community nurse will call daily to renew wound dressings - Compression garments - Protection of ulcer surrounding skin.
 

There is however, new information available. On September 5, 2006 ­ A study published in the July journal of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Homeostasis shows that an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), heals leg ulcers in patients who suffer from diabetic leg ulcerations. The most significant findings were patients treated with oral and local Pycnogenol resulting in a 74.4 percent decrease in ulcer size within six weeks. After six weeks of treatment results showed the most significant ulcer healing for patients who supplemented with combined oral and local treatment. You could perhaps discuss this information with your treating doctor, to see if this treatment is appropriate for your particular ulcers. For further relevant information please see the related links below.
 

To help prevent further arterial leg ulcers the following advice is important: Keep a strict control of blood sugar levels. Stop smoking and lose weight if you are overweight - Reduce the amount of fat in your diet and eat more fruit an vegetables - Exercise as much as possible. By exercising, you force your blood vessels to form new branches, improving the blood circulation in your legs - It's fine if your legs hurt a little when you exercise, but it shouldn't make you feel unwell.- Try this exercise while sitting down: move your feet around in circles, then up and down. This activates the venous pump. It's also helps people with venous leg ulcers - Take good care of your feet to prevent foot ulcers - make sure shoes fit correctly and are not too small - keep your feet warm and try to avoid injuries to your feet and legs - examine your feet and legs daily for any changes in colour or the development of sores - visit a chiropodist (person who treats feet) regularly.
 

Related Links
Leg and Foot Ulcers
Further reading - Leg and Foot Ulcers
Study Shows That Pine Tree Bark Reduces Diabetic Leg Ulcers