Can you combine herbal therapy with physical agents in the treatment of venous leg ulcers? Evaluation of healing and antimicrobiological effects: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Venous leg ulcers are an important and common health problem. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of herbal therapies alone or in combination with physical therapy in the treatment of venous ulcers, as well as their antibacterial effects.


METHODS
Our study included 60 patients (3 groups, 20 patients each) with non-infected venous leg ulcers. The patients were treated with herbal therapy alone (group HTC), with a combination of electro-ionizing radiation and herbal therapy (group ERHT) or with a combination of polarized light and herbal therapy (group PLHT).


RESULTS
Surface area and score of venous leg ulcers were followed clinically at baseline and at the end of 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks of treatment. Comparing the results within the HTC, PLHT, and ERHT groups we found that the physical agents and herbal therapy significantly accelerated the healing of venous leg ulcers and reduced bacterial flora (p < 0.05). Comparing the results between the tested groups revealed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate healing and antibacterial effects of combined physical and herbal therapies, but no superiority of the combined treatment for venous leg ulcers as compared to treatment by herbal therapy alone.
Janković
Aleksandar
A
Clinic of Dermatology and Venerology, Clinical Center Niš, Serbia, Serbia. jakesnage@yahoo.com
Binić
Ivana
I
Vručinić
Zoran
Z
Janković
Dimitrije
D
Janković
Irena
I
Jančić
Snežana
S
D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007871:Leg Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing