Life-style advice and self-care strategies for venous leg ulcer patients: what is the evidence?

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the evidence for lifestyle changes and self-care activities encouraged by health professionals to prevent venous leg ulcer recurrence. METHOD: A literature search was undertaken using online databases: Medline, CINAHL, Psychinfo and Cochrane for relevant literature between 1990 and 2012. RESULTS: A total of 16 papers were identified, with recurrent themes of physical activity, exercise, mobility and leg elevation emerging. The evidence for the efficacy of compression therapy in preventing recurrence is substantial and is not discussed here. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence that increasing physical activity, improving mobility and foot exercises may be beneficial in preventing ulcer recurrence. The evidence on the benefits of leg elevation on recurrence prevention is unclear and further research is needed.