"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.