Do you know how to manage your leg wounds properly? If your leg wound doesn’t heal even after 2 weeks despite having treatment, then chances are you may develop leg ulcers. If you leave these wounds untreated, it may cause severe infection and skin cancer. So, learn about podiatry approaches for treating leg wounds in this article so you can manage your wounds and prevent the risk of complications.

Podiatry approaches for leg wounds

There are many different approaches to treating leg wounds depending on the severity and type of leg wounds. Doctors focus on healing the wound, preventing infection, relieving pain, and stopping the wound from growing in size.

Cleaning and dressing the ulcer

Generally, treatment starts by removing any debris and dead tissue from the ulcer, washing, and drying it, and then applying a proper dressing. This allows the ulcer to heal. A simple non-sticky dressing can be used to dress your ulcer.

Usually, you need to change your dressing 1 to 3 times a week and prevent it from getting soaked in water. You can put a plastic bag around the wound whenever you take a bath to prevent your dressing from getting soaked in water. Many people find it difficult to clean and dress their own ulcers without the supervision of a nurse. So, you can visit your podiatrist/healthcare provider to get proper dressing.

Compression bandages and stockings

To improve blood circulation in the vein and treat swelling, the healthcare provider will apply a firm compression stocking or bandage over the affected leg. These bandages are designed to squeeze your legs and improve blood flow upwards towards your heart. There are many different varieties of bandages or elastic stockings used to treat venous leg ulcers, which have more different layers.

Compression bandage is applied by a trained healthcare professional which is required to be changed 1 to 3 times a week. These bandages are applied first on the unhealthy ulcer, which can be painful. So, ideally, they give you paracetamol or an alternative painkiller to manage your pain. Your pain will start getting lesser once your ulcer starts to heal.

You must wear your compression stockings as instructed, otherwise it can create problems. So, you should contact your nurse instead of trying to remove it yourself. If your compression bandage is too tight or uncomfortable in bed at night, you should get up for a short walk to feel better. However, you can cut or remove the bandage if you:

• Feel numbness or tingling in your feet or toes.
• Unusual pain in your legs, feet, or toes.
• Toes become swollen or look pale in color.

Once you remove the bandage, make sure you keep your leg higher than the heart level and contact your doctor. In some clinics, specialist teams use new alternatives to compression bandages such as special stockings or other compression devices. However, it is not available in every clinic, so this may be possible in the future. You can ask your specialist whether using a different approach is good for you or not.

Medications

Medications such as pain-relieving medications and oral antibiotics are used to relieve pain and treat infection if present. Infection is usually present if your ulcer produces pus. Doctors may recommend aspirin to prevent blood clots in the legs. Doctors also recommend vitamins and mineral supplements to boost your healing if the person suffers from a deficiency. Usually, zinc, iron, and vitamin C may be used.

Surgery

Surgery is recommended when other treatments fail to heal ulcers or wounds larger than 4 inches. Surgery can remove, repair, replace, or bypass a damaged vein that causes your ulcer. Doctors use skin graft surgery to remove healthy skin from other parts of the body and graft it onto the prepared wound site.

Home remedies

Besides medical treatment, your doctor may recommend home remedies to ease discomfort and improve recovery time. First, you need to keep your wounds clean to prevent infection and for that, you can use mild soap and water daily. Additionally, change bandages or stockings once daily to keep the area dry, so it will heal. Your doctor also provides you with specific instructions for wound care to follow.

Other home remedies may include:

• Wear good walking shoes or footwear.
• Get regular exercise (not too intense, mild to moderate intensity is enough).
• Elevate your legs most of the time during the day.
• Avoid smoking; and drink alcohol in moderation, if you do, otherwise avoid it. This can speed up your healing.
• If you’re overweight or obese, try to lose weight so that it doesn’t strain your wound.

Keep in mind, don’t use home or alternative methods instead of medical treatment without consulting with your doctor. These remedies may be beneficial; however, they can aggravate the condition depending on the preparation and stage of your ulcers.

Follow-up

You must see your healthcare provider at least once a week at the start of your treatment to have your dressings and compression bandages changed. Your doctor also monitors your ulcer to see how well it’s healing. Once your ulcer is healing well, you can follow up and get lower. With proper treatment, most leg wounds heal within 6 months.

The podiatry treatment approach to managing a leg wound depends on the severity of your symptoms and the type of leg wound. In most cases, treatment can easily help you manage your symptoms of leg ulcers and help you prevent infection. However, if you leave your leg ulcer untreated, your infection can spread to the bones which need immediate medical attention from your doctor.

If you need help with your leg wound to prevent complications and get better faster, visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn for professional medical help. Doral Health & Wellness employs Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common. It’s not a good idea to put off seeing a Foot Doctor Brooklyn until you’re in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call +1-347-384-5690 or send an email toinfo@doralhw.org.