Help needed for poor circulation to legs - Red necrosis (updated 26/01/15)

Before intervention

Hi Gary,

I was browsing through your website and saw your article on leg circulation:

I have the exact same ailment which seems to be getting progressively worse. I take 13.5mg of warfarin per day due to multiple blood clots, which has in effect cause much of the problems in my legs. I suppose, my venous issues are compounded with varicose veins which have increasingly developed due to incompetent valves.

Before intervention

I have seen many GPs who are seemingly baffled at how to manage my condition. The prescription so far has been compression stockings which I have learned actually cut off the circulation and cellular respiration in the legs causing ulcers to remain open indefinitely. I have since banished the stockings and applied zinc oxide regularly which has healed up the ulcers. Now I am left with the red necrosis like the gentleman in the above link, which is slowly creeping up my legs.

If I could get the condition that gentleman's legs healed to it would be heaven!


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Gary:


A few years have passed and I can report that the gentleman who owns the legs in this photo is now well into his 70's and his legs are better than ever.  He is a regular walker and in good health.

After intervention

When he first came to see me, he was in distress and I was shocked at the state his legs were in.  My, how things have changed!

Let's be real about this condition: It is indicative of seriously poor circulation to the legs and this may be a precursor to eventual lower leg amputation.  To beat it, we can not afford to mess about.

The nutrition interventions I may recommend depend upon each individual's special circumstances and must also be mindful of what medications they may be on.  For example: Vitamin E may augment the anti clotting effects of Warfarin, so the obvious action is to reduce the amount of Warfarin if we decide to give you vitamin E (This may need the cooperation of your Dr).

The big breakthrough, of late, is iodine deficiency which we can now test for.

After intervention

By far the best first action is to obtain a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) and possibly a Thyrodine test (contact me by phone to discuss).  I am not keen on giving you a "One Size - Fits All" list of advice for a serious health issue.  We must get it right.

For example: You may be lacking zinc but you may actually have too much; you may need more vitamin C but then again it may be copper you need more of.  You may have far too much calcium in your soft tissues and not enough magnesium.  Do you need more fat and protein?  Who knows?  The only way we can know for sure is through the HTMA.

So, the first step you will need about a gram of natural undyed hair that you send to Pacific Health.  The process of analysis takes 3-4 weeks from the date you send in the hair sample.  Once you have your copy of the report you need to contact me to arrange a time to go through the report together.  If you do not live in Wellington, New Zealand, then we can do this either over the phone or with Skype (I prefer Skype).

Oh! - It might be worth taking several photos of your legs so that you have something to refer to in a year or so from now.  Improvements can be very subtle and easily missed.  Photos do the job well and can be matched with other measures such as distanced walked with comfort.

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More related articles:

http://blog.garymoller.com/2015/01/first-aid-treatment-for-severe-ankle.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2015/01/my-ankle-fracture-dislocation-two-weeks.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2008/01/how-to-prevent-deep-vein-thrombosis-in.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2008/09/do-natural-health-therapies-work.html

About this website

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation.  Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.  Please give me your support by subscribing to my free email updates. Please encourage your family and friends to do the same. While we may not always be able to compete with the big operators on price, we aim to more than compensate through personal service!




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Do natural health therapies really work?

"Gary I have to give you a very big thank you for coming up with a programme of natural products etc which cured the problem of itchiness and greatly reduced the discoloration on my legs which initially was increasing in size.

The GP and skin specialist failed to improve the condition over a year with products meant to heal from the outside, whereas your programme started from the inside with great results in four months." 

"F"

Let me begin by saying that there is 

no "cure" as such.  It is better to think of good ongoing management.

The kind of condition he is referring to is a combination of nutrient starvation and poor circulation.  It is unsightly and can become increasingly uncomfortable and painful.  It can be embarrassing when getting about with bare legs, such as when out walking. 

"F" never thought he would ever wear shorts again when out walking.

 Left to progress, as it inevitably will, the consequences can be amputation.  Conventional treatment does not address the underlying causes.

Now and then there is a real hoop-la 

when some expert comes out with 

evidence that "this or that" supplement or natural therapy doesn't work.

The truth is that natural therapies and some nutrition supplements do work when done well. This means a thorough assessment by a person with a good knowledge of human 

physiology, health conditions and a good understanding of conventional medical treatments and their alternatives. Natural therapies take time, so patience is a requirement. 

They are not "cure-alls". Success is 

never guaranteed. Handing out a pile of supplements across the counter of 

a retail store is not good health care, either and probably serves to discredit natural alternatives to 

pharmaceuticals which dominate subsidised health care.

Natural Therapies often work

The photos in this article tell it all: 

They are before and after shots of the legs of our active man in his 70's. A few months ago "F" was facing what could have become the fight of his life: Progressive tissue breakdown due to increasingly poor circulation through the lower legs. This can progress to amputation.

I began by a couple of assessments to try as best one can to determine what nutrition and lifestyle factors may be at play to be causing the poor circulation and the tissue breakdown.

"F" began with an Active Elements prescription, all of the fat soluble vitamins and a few other nutritional aids to top up the body for a while. He made a few key changes to his diet, including

more quality protein, essential fatty acids and rich antioxidant foods like blackberries. I showed him how to massage the legs to get the fluids flowing and he did this daily using a natural skin moisturiser (Refer to his comments later in this article).

The before and after photos show "F's" legs, first on the 2nd June 08 and again on 29 September 08. What they show is a dramatic improvement in the state of health of what were a set of increasingly precarious pins.

Giving credit where its due, "F" has to be congratulated for having the confidence to go with my advice and to persist consistently. After all, his condition was most uncomfortable and not a good look, so it is most tempting to go for the quick-fix in desperation.  Natural therapies usually take a lot more time and effort to deal with the underlying causes as compared to pharmaceuticals that deal only with the symptoms.

Comments from "F"

"I thought I should mention that since the first visit to you I am not using sugar in tea nor coffee, with the result about 8 teaspoons less sugar per day.  I have switched to silver top milk,  butter, cream and blackberries every morning and have butter with my greens.  Each day over the past four months I took wheatgerm oil, cod liver oil, Vitamin D and Lechithin.

The other things I think helped  is the compressed stockings worn every day and using a 24 hour moisturiser "Avena" immediately after showering.  

Also the doctors did not give me drugs as such only Loratadine tablets to reduce the itch which I rarely took, because it was too late when I had the itch to be of much benefit.  The doctors prescribed  Lemnis Fatty Cream with Hydrocortisone 1%, but that did not help nor did the Lemnis Fatty cream without the Hydrocortisone which the skin specialist prescribed and the wearing of compressed stockings."

Warning: There is always a time and a place for conventional medical treatments and always consult your doctor before changing any treatments and be guided by the advice given.

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Will turmeric help warm cold hands and feet?

I have for years had poor circulation in my hands and feet, and get purple fingernails and cold hands on cold days. A friend has suggested Turmeric tablets; her husband has apparently taken them with good results. Your views?

"G"

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Gary comments:
As background, "G" has a lanky frame.  He is in his 50's.  He is sedentary, lightly muscled and is not known to frequent sunseeker clubs.  He has recently suffered a bad arm fracture and has previously consulted me about knee and muscle pain.

Chronic deficiency in the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) may be key factors in cases of joint and muscle pain, fragile bones and depressed metabolism as indicated by the poor circulation and cold limbs.  This is a growing health issue nowadays as the harm from the low-fat health messages are wreaked upon the well intentioned.  There is a good case for a course of several months of boosting these levels with some modest supplementation.

Minerals should be replenished as well.  Protein should be dribbled into the body daily by incuding a little in each meal rather than during one meal alone.  Minerals and proteins give strtength and structure to the body, including the bones.  Along with the Fat soluble vitamins they help stoke and sustain the metabolic fires.

It would help to get back to as natural a diet as possible with as much variety as one can get in home cooking - all kinds of meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, whole mik, cheeses and fruit.  If it is sold in plastic, if it has any kind of additive, hydrogenated fats etc, then get rid of it!  Eat what Granny used to call "food".

Exercise daily - Brisk walking and lifting modest weights above the head about 20 times from ground level will do the job.

Turmeric?

Turmeric is a favourite of ours when cooking.  Any of the the brightly coloured spices are great for you.  These have many health benefits.  Turmeric may boost metabolism and it may have anti-cancer properties.  What could be better than turmeric as a food spice, taken in conjunction with the fat soluble vitamins?  I do not think you need to take it as pills.  Cook with it.

Vitamin K

One or more generous servings per day of dark greens - brocolli, spinach, silverbeet or taro leaves.  Cook in NZ butter or cocnut oil.  The fat is essential to dissolve the fat soluble vitamin K and to transport it into the blood and to the cells.

Do you have a question?
Email Gary: gary at myotec.co.nz (Replace the "at" with @ and remove spaces). Please include any relevant background information to your question.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in office workers

A New Zealand study has warned that that office workers are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT)from sitting immobile at their desks.

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper says sitting immobile at a desk for hours at a time will be revealed as a serious risk factor for so-called "economy class syndrome".

It says a study to be presented at the annual conference of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand later this month has found prolonged immobility at work is the most common factor shared by DVT patients.

Researchers found one in three people attending an outpatient clinic reported sitting for eight hours or longer before suffering a venous thromboembolism.

The worst-affected were managers, IT workers and taxi drivers, according to the research from the Medical Research Institute in Wellington.
(Click on the title for the whole news report).
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Gary Moller comments:
This research by Professor Richard Beasley has been long overdue. It illustrates the dangers of sitting for long periods without moving regardless of the location.

I recognised this risk several years ago and developed a seminar for athletes, coaches and team managers on the dangers of sub-clinical DVT and its detrimental effects on athlete performance. I learned many years ago from experienced world class runners like Rod Dixon, Dick Quax and Dick Tayler that one could never produce a personal best if the journey to the race venue was any longer than a few hours within a day of the event. The usual action, by these athletes, upon arrival at their venue was to put on their running kit and do a quick blow out to get the blood circulating.

I have dug out my old handout notes and turned them into a downloadable file. The advice applies equally to desk jockeys as it does to atheltes.

Here is the link - have a read and let me know what you think.

What can I do to stop getting numb feet when cycling?

"Dear Gary, I get very cold feet while cycling. They go so numb that I can not feel them. I have tried everything, including new shoes, warm socks and getting my bike setup changed. Nothing has worked....This winter has been really bad for me." "J" _________________________________
Gary Moller comments:
Dear "J",
I empathise with the discomfort you are suffering. I think this is a problem most cyclists come up against at some time and I am no exception: The main cause of numb feet while cycling is that the blood is squeezed out of the foot when you press down but fresh, warm blood is unable to flood in because, unlike running, there is no relief of the pressure. The result is a kind of iscaemia, including cold feet. It can be painful as well as numbing and can cause most unpleasant chill blains. The solutions are as follows:

• Your shoes should allow space in the forefoot but able to be firmly laced at the ankle to prevent excessive movement
• Wear thin socks. Thick socks do not allow the foot to decompress with each cycle stroke.
  Use an exterior cycling booty over the shoe if it is really cold and wet. Have a quite hard innersole that will not compress. I personally use Formthotics Low Profile in all of my cycling shoes. You can get these from http://www.myotec.co.nz/
• Do not have your shoes too tight over the forefoot - fasten the ankle portion of the shoe to prevent too much movement.
• Work on your cyling technique. If you are a thighy pedaller, you will have constant pressure on the soles of the feet and you will get numb and painful soles.
• Correct cycling techniques has you pulling back and up with the hamstring and butt muscles with the back stroke. This takes a lot of practice and concentration to get right. Get it right and you take the pressure off the sole of the foot with each stroke, thus allowing fresh warm blood in.
• Keep your trunk (core) warm while exercising. if you do not keep your core warm, your periphery (arms and legs) will not receive warm blood because the arteries to them shut off to conserve body heat. If you keep your core warm then your feet will stay quite warm; even in very cold conditions.

I trust that this is helpful.