Progressive resistant exercise programme for healing venous leg ulcers

Leg ulcers are costly, debilitating condition with few effective treatments. Compression bandaging helps healing, but about 4 out of every 10 people with a leg ulcer remain unhealed after 3 months. Recurrence occurs in up to 70% of people. Calf muscle function is poorer in people with venous leg ulcers than in people without such ulcers. Simple, easy and quickly completed home-based exercises can improve calf muscle function in people with venous ulcers, but it is not known what effect they have on ulcer healing. Current treatment for venous ulcers is compression bandaging. Participants in this pilot study will be randomised to receive the exercises + compression, or compression alone. The exercises are heel raises, and progress will be assessed every 3 weeks for the 12 week treatment period. This pilot study aims to test the acceptability, tolerability and efficacy of the home-based exercises on calf muscle function and provide information for the feasibility of a larger trial.