BACKGROUND: Increasing attention is being given to the use of Chinese medicine (CM) for preventing and healing vascular complications of chronic ulcerative lesions of diabetic foot. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this paper are to describe some benefits of CM for the treatment of diabetic foot and to provide some expert opinions based on some case studies and evidence from documented Chinese traditional medicine literature. METHODS: A critical review of the literature and a case report. RESULTS: Cumulative evidence in the literature indicate that CM preparations possess anti-inflammatory activities, antioxygenation, antibiosis, antibacterial, antiallergic and beneficial effect on the viability of fibroblasts. Case record suggested that after CM treatment the patient with Wagner Grade IV ulcers healed completely. CONCLUSION: It is becoming increasingly important for integrated CM and biomedicine therapy to treat diabetes-related vascular complications. The opportunities for effective CM interventions are significant, and more solid evidence is warranted to show the efficacy of CM in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers in the near future.
BACKGROUND: Increasing attention is being given to the use of Chinese medicine (CM) for preventing and healing vascular complications of chronic ulcerative lesions of diabetic foot. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this paper are to describe some benefits of CM for the treatment of diabetic foot and to provide some expert opinions based on some case studies and evidence from documented Chinese traditional medicine literature. METHODS: A critical review of the literature and a case report. RESULTS: Cumulative evidence in the literature indicate that CM preparations possess anti-inflammatory activities, antioxygenation, antibiosis, antibacterial, antiallergic and beneficial effect on the viability of fibroblasts. Case record suggested that after CM treatment the patient with Wagner Grade IV ulcers healed completely. CONCLUSION: It is becoming increasingly important for integrated CM and biomedicine therapy to treat diabetes-related vascular complications. The opportunities for effective CM interventions are significant, and more solid evidence is warranted to show the efficacy of CM in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers in the near future.