Supervised exercise training as an adjunct therapy for venous leg ulcers: a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) cause significant pain and slow healing, with compression therapy showing limited sustained improvement.
• Supervised exercise training is a low-risk intervention with potential benefits for physical and mental health.
• The combined efficacy and feasibility of exercise and compression for VLU management remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 12-week supervised exercise program as an adjunct to compression therapy for VLU patients.
• To assess key progress criteria including exercise adherence, patient preference, and loss to follow-up.

Main Methods:

• A two-center, randomized feasibility trial involving 39 VLU patients randomized to exercise plus compression or compression alone.
• Participants underwent three supervised exercise sessions weekly, with assessments at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year.
• Data collected included ulcer healing rates, time to healing, recurrence, infection, costs, and qualitative participant experiences.

Main Results:

• High adherence (72%) to the supervised exercise program was observed, with low loss to follow-up (5%).
• No serious adverse events were reported; minor events included increased ulcer discharge.
• The exercise group demonstrated a shorter median ulcer healing time (13 weeks vs. 34.7 weeks) and significantly lower mean healthcare costs.

Conclusions:

• The supervised exercise program, when combined with compression therapy, is feasible and acceptable for VLU patients.
• This combined approach shows potential for improving VLU healing times and reducing healthcare utilization.
• The study supports the integration of supervised exercise into VLU management protocols.