Chronic Leg Sore

Mayme had a sore on her leg for many years, 10 or 15 years is our best estimate. She was 86 years old, thin and frail, but generally in good health. Her only medical condition was mild high blood pressure for which she took a “water pill” and one other medication. One evening over diner, she confided that the home healthcare nurse had noticed some infection in the wound and said that she would probably have to go into a nursing home to heal the wound. She was terrified at the thought. I had recently been to an introductory class on essential oils where the presenter talked extensively about wounds. She was a physical therapist who worked with wounds in a nursing home and she showed slides of some pressure ulcers that had improved dramatically, healing in just two weeks. I said that I didn’t know if it would work, but described what I had learned and said that I was willing to try.

The wound was actually a cluster of wounds, three open areas ranging in size from approximately 2.5 to 4 centimeters. They were located on the back of her calf and were quite shallow. Initially the wounds had small, white pustules scattered throughout them and the surface was weeping clear fluid. They were very shallow, red on the surface, but with a dark, almost black area underneath. I later learned that the cause of the wounds was poor circulation from a varicose vein below.

I arrived at her home the next day with a handful of Young Living brand essential oils. I gently wiped the wounds with a cotton swab with a drop of oil on it. I used a separate swab for each of the areas and each of the oils. I initially used Lavender, Thyme, Helichrysum, Gentle Baby. I then swabbed the general area with Cyprus oil. I knew that Cyprus was good for circulation. Because of the distance that I had to travel, it was not possible to treat her wounds more often than daily. Even with this limitation, the white pustules were gone within three days and the redness had calmed to a health pink. I discontinued use of Thyme oil. I treated her wound daily for two weeks, then decreased to twice per week for the next two months. By then, the smallest of the three areas was completely healed, and the other areas were considerably smaller. We continued treatment to once a week, using Helichrysum and Cyprus. Six months after beginning treatment, the wound was completely healed. I felt that it would have healed faster if essential oils could have been applied more often, but Mayme could not see well enough to apply the oil herself, so it was not possible.

Mayme was thrilled with the progress that the wound had made. After treating it with antibiotic ointment for so many years, she never thought that she would have it healed. She never needed to bandage her leg again.

Wound Type

Oils Used

Lavender, thyme, helichrysum, gentle baby, cyprus

Role or Party Involvement

Family member