Protocolized Foot Exercises Help in Improvement of Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Quality of Life When Added to Standard Therapy-A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Deepak Nayak, Rubik Ray, Chetan Anand et al.
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In 30 seconds
This open-label randomized controlled trial compared standard diabetic foot ulcer therapy alone with standard therapy plus three months of protocolized foot exercises in 72 patients. At three months, ulcer area reduction was greater with exercises (100% versus 45.22%; P-value = 0.001). SF-36 scores also improved significantly in physical function, emotional well-being, and pain, while several other quality-of-life components did not differ significantly. The authors conclude that exercises may benefit ulcer healing and quality of life when patients can adhere to the programme.
Key findings
- Ulcer area reduction at three months was 100% with exercises versus 45.22% without them (P-value = 0.001).
- SF-36 physical function scores were 69.4 ± 8.9 versus 63.7 ± 11.0 (P-value = 0.01).
- Emotional well-being scores were 65.2 ± 7.6 versus 60.8 ± 7.9, and pain scores were 55.4 ± 18.5 versus 47.5 ± 14.5; both differences were significant.
- Social functioning, physical health limitation, health change, energy, and general health did not improve significantly between groups.
Why it matters
Diabetic foot ulcers can have substantial health and quality-of-life consequences. This trial suggests that a structured exercise programme added to standard multidisciplinary therapy may improve ulcer-area reduction and selected quality-of-life domains over three months. The findings also highlight that benefits may depend on patients being able to maintain the exercises.
What to keep in mind
The trial was open-label, and outcomes were assessed at three months. The abstract does not report whether exercise adherence was achieved or provide longer-term outcomes.