Diabetes: ultrasound to treat venous ulcers
Wounds are the pet peeve of diabetics. Especially chronic wounds (venous ulcers among others). These arenot to be taken lightly, because, taken care of too late, they often lead to amputations.
How to treat them well? Researchers at Walk University in the UK have been looking into the problem in order to look for alternative healing methods. Their choice fell on ultrasound. Often criticized by scientists, ultrasound has however proven its worth in helping healing.
Study and results
Indeed, the results of this study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology(1), show that ultrasound, used in this case on diabetic mice suffering from chronic wounds, reduced healing time by 30%. Specifically, when ultrasound was applied to the base of the wound, it would create fibroblasts, thus accelerating healing.
Fibroblasts are cells present in connective tissue, and have several roles. That ofantiviral protector and against infections, or in the renewal of collagen and fiber proteins for example(2).
James Roper, a molecular biologist at Walk University’s School of Biochemistry, even said that the mice studied would find the same healing time as younger, healthy mice.
Diabetes: poor blood flow
It should be remembered that in the case of diabetes, wounds are not to be taken lightly and are to be followed very rigorously. Indeed, diabetes leads toinsufficient blood flow, which has the consequence of preventing the wound from healing properly.
This research would therefore be a step forward in helping people with diabetes live better on a daily basis. The researchers even specify that this discovery would have an impact, certainly, health, but also economic. Indeed, they claim that “this solution couldsave more than £3 billion in healthcare spending in the UK, thanks to a one-third reduction in healing time“.
It should also be remembered that ultrasound is already used in medicine, at several levels. Ultrasounds, laboratories, as well as physiotherapy use ultrasound. These are, of course, not perceived by the human ear. They can also be used in industry for welding non-ferrous metals, for example, or in agriculture to transform water into aerosol(3).
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.