Diabetic Ulcers

Diabetes affects more than 25.8 million adults and children in the United States.

This is a sobering number when you think of the cascade of complications that are now on the doorstep of each of these people.  These complications can include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nervous system disease (neuropathy), blindness, amputation and ulcers.

Ulcers are the outward manifestation of an unhealthy condition of the area where the ulcer appears.  There are three kinds of ulcers and diabetics can have any of the three.  All ulcers are a breakdown of the skin.

Caused by a fluid build-up in the skin from poor vein function (venous insufficiency).  The fluid that leaks from the veins are very damaging to the health of that area when it continues to stay instead of being naturally removed.  80-to-90% of all ulcers are Venous Stasis.

Caused by neuropathy and peripheral artery disease in which tingling, numbness, burning and pain are the first signs.  Ulcers occur because of damage to the nerves and arteries, caused by a disease like diabetes or trauma.

Are caused by a restriction of blood supply usually due to damaged blood vessels.  There is a lack of oxygen and a build-up of metabolic waste that damages the tissue.

There is a common thread that runs through all of these ulcers and that is blood.  Our blood is meant to flow, unrestricted and constant.  Blood brings oxygen and nutrients and removes waste.

The best way to describe the area where there is a fluid build-up is to think of a stream flowing swiftly; the water is clean and very clear.  Now think of some small tributaries that are occasionally off to the side of a stream; the water is dark, smelly and has algae and other things clogging it up.  This would be a picture of fluid build-up in the body.

When everything is working well and there is a little backup of fluid, the lymphatic system can handle the overflow and keep everything healthy.  One of the components this system removes is the unused protein that our body needs and sends it back into the venous system.  The stagnant fluid build-up has a lot of protein in which bacteria feed and grow on.  This makes the area very susceptible to serious infections.

Our therapists studied in Austria at the Vodder School where Manual Lymphatic Drainage was developed.  With this technique we can vastly increase the removal of excess fluid that has overwhelmed the lymphatic system.

Manual lymphatic drainage can increase the blood flow in the body without increasing the blood pressure.  This technique can be used on the most painful areas because it is gentle and effective.

Maybe the most important thing we would like to impart is that being proactive is the most important thing for you to do.  If you are having an area of swelling or irritation, resolve it before it becomes an ulcer.  If you are having numbness and tingling we can also address that with the ReCAPS System™.