Therapies for the Diabetic Foot Syndrome
1. Treatment of the root cause
- Optimization of the blood sugar level alleviates symptoms caused by damages of the nerves (neuropathy)
- Revascularization of the blood vessels
- Stabilization of the blood pressure
- Weight reduction
- Ascertaining an appropriate metabolism
2. Follow-up therapy
- Education of patients and their partners
- Prophylaxis (prevention)
- Coordination of a multidisciplinary treatment (cooperation of all specialists involved)
- Provision of diabetic shoes
- Local therapy (wound management, decompression and check-ups to avoid infections)
- Prevention of thrombosis in case of immobility
- Avoidance of nicotine
Laser therapy using low-level laser
The affected tissue is given a spot treatment or area treatment, depending on the indication. Positive effects of laser therapy include:
- Alleviating pain by having a favourable effect on histamine, Bradykinin (which causes blood vessels to enlarge and therefore causes blood pressure to lower) and substance P
- Stopping an inflammatory process due to a lower release of inflammatory substances
- Accelerating the healing process since tissue fibres develop faster
- Improving microcirculation and lymphatic drainage, which reduces swellings
- Increasing blood circulation
- Reducing the risk of infections
Ozone therapy
A therapy with ozone improves blood circulation and the immune system, thus speeding up the healing of wounds.
V.A.C. System
In this therapy, a defined and controlled vacuum supports the healing of physiological and moist wounds.
Maggot debridement therapy
Using Lucilia sericata, the maggot of the green blowfly
This is a type of biotherapy involving the intentional introduction, by a health care practitioner, of live disinfected maggots (fly larvae) raised in special facilities into the non-healing skin and soft-tissue wounds for the purposes of selectively cleaning out only the necrotic tissue within a wound (debridement), disinfection, and promotion of wound healing. Healthy tissue is not affected.
The digestive juices exuded by the maggots have an antibacterial effect by increasing the pH-value of a wound to a level that kills bacteria. The maggots are placed on the wound in a gauze or foam bag, which remains on the wound until it is healed.
The result of several such treatments is a necrotic-free wound, which is considerably easier to treat.
Electrical stimulation
This technique, using an electric current to activate nerves, has an anti-microbial effect, and encourages the blood flow in the capillary vessels and growth of new blood vessels. New tissue builds up faster and pains are reduced.
