OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the therapy mainly for strengthening healthy energy to promote blood circulation in treating diabetic patients with gangrene. METHODS: A series of 112 diabetic patients with gangrene were investigated before and after treatment in the changes of wounds, clinical symptoms and quality of life. RESULTS: Fifty-eight cases were cured, 12 cases showed response, 36 cases improved, and 6 cases failure of treatment. The total obvious effect rate was 62.5% (70/112) and the amputation rate was 8.9% (10/112). The 104 diabetic cases of three-stage gangrene were classified into grade I, II and III. The total effect rates of the diabetic cases of grade I, II and III were 83.3% (30/36), 55.6% (35/63) and 20% (1/5), and the amputation rates were 0%, 12.7% (8/63), and 40% (2/5) respectively. After the treatment, the clinical symptoms, gangrene number, gangrene area and gangrene depth were obviously improved (P<0.05), and the quality of life was obviously improved (P<0.01), especially in physical condition, emotional well-being and therapeutic effects on patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Strengthening healthy energy to promote blood circulation is effective in treating diabetic patients with gangrene.

Chronic ulcer of the lower extremities amounts for a grave and serious problem for public health. Western medicine focuses on controlling infection, improving blood circulation, surgical debridement, skin grafting, etc, but there are bottlenecks in the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history and a legacy of sound clinical efficacy in this area. TCM has developed a unique, effective external theory, and a large number of topical prescriptions and external technology. Through this research, a safe and effective treatment protocol of TCM for chronic ulcer of the lower extremities can be formed. To this end, during China's "Eleventh Five-Year" Plan, special research committees and projects on TCM external treatments and external technologies were established. This study on ulcer of the lower extremities constitutes one of the major research topics.