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Review
. 2022 Jan 20:8:791899.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.791899. eCollection 2021.

Challenges in Healing Wound: Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Prakash Monika  1 , Mathikere Naganna Chandraprabha  1 , Annapoorni Rangarajan  2 , P Veena Waiker  3 , Kotamballi N Chidambara Murthy  4
Affiliations
Review

Challenges in Healing Wound: Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Prakash Monika et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Although the word wound sounds like a simple injury to tissue, individual's health status and other inherent factors may make it very complicated. Hence, wound healing has gained major attention in the healthcare. The biology wound healing is precise and highly programmed, through phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. Current options for wound healing which includes, use of anti-microbial agents, healing promoters along with application of herbal and natural products. However, there is no efficient evidence-based therapy available for specific chronic wounds that can result in definitive clinical outcomes. Under co-morbid conditions, chronic would poses numerous challenges. Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMs) in health care sector is increasing and its applications in wound management remains like to "separate the diamonds from ore." Attempts have been made to understand the wound at the molecular level, mainly through the analysis of signature genes and the influence of several synthetic and natural molecules on these. We have outlined a review of challenges in chronic wound healing and the role of CAMs in chronic wound management. The main focus is on the applications and limitations of currently available treatment options for a non-healing wound and the best possible alternates to consider. This information generates broader knowledge on challenges in chronic wound healing, which can be further addressed using multidisciplinary approach and combination therapies.

Keywords: acute wound; chronic wound; complementary and alternative medicine; infection; phytochemicals; polyphenols.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of challenges in chronic wound environment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of currently available therapies and scope for future treatment options.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic representation showing considerations to determine the efficiency of a phytochemical as a potential wound healing agent.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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