Current status of mind-body interventions for vascular complications of diabetes

Impaired peripheral blood flow causes complications, disabilities, expenses, and deaths among persons with diabetes mellitus. Many individuals suffer from lower-extremity pain, reduced functional status, and impaired quality of life. Current conventional treatments include lifestyle modification, exercise, medication, and surgery. However, these approaches are often impractical or insufficient. Thermal biofeedback, however, alone or in conjunction with other mind-body techniques, improves peripheral circulation, pain, neuropathy, ulcer healing, ambulatory activity, and quality of life. It is noninvasive, inexpensive, and consistent with community-based approaches to diabetes self-management. As an adjunct to the medical management of diabetes, thermal biofeedback may help ameliorate some of the vascular complications.