Check out this fascinating article by my friend and colleague, Tom Bozzuto, DO published in Today’s Wound Clinic about “Herbal Treatments for Diabetic Foot Ulcers.” I have never heard of mountain papaya, maritime pine or marigolds being used for wound healing so I learned a lot. However, I do remember the first time a patient came in with the green leaves of her aloe vera plant covering her wound. The weirdest treatment I’ve seen was a patient with truly horrific wounds (due, it turned out, to an undiagnosed iron storage disease) who arrived with a jar of “healing salve” made from the placenta of his concerned and generous neighbor. All I could say was, “Wow, you are a lot more friendly with your neighbors than I am.”
I have to confess that after 30+ years, I have decided that what we put ON a wound is a lot less important than addressing the reasons for the wound (e.g. vascular disease, nutrient deficiency, repetitive trauma) – so I am actually OK with a lot of home remedies – as long as the patient is willing to work with me to manage all the causative factors. I know that perspective will not earn me points with dressing manufacturers.
[ARTICLE] Herbal Treatments for DFUs in the Wound Clinic
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
The opinions, comments, and content expressed or implied in my statements are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of Intellicure or any of the boards on which I serve.
