After years of battling her weight Sue Sanders was finally getting herself on track and working off those extra pounds all in a bid to get a knee replacement operation to combat the ever growing threat of losing her mobility and easing her agonising arthritis. There was just one thing in her way; leg ulcers.

Sue had battled with leg ulcers for over seven years, she just couldn’t get rid of them, even if some small ones went, they always came back and the larger ones just never cleared up and while she had lost eight stone she found it increasingly difficult to lose any more weight as she was in too much pain to do any worthwhile exercise or physical activity.

Her surgeon had told her that they couldn’t operate if she had ulcers as it meant the wound would not heal. This was a devastating blow to Sue who was already walking aided by two walking sticks and taking a number of strong painkillers every day.
Sue was facing the very real prospect of a future in a wheelchair.

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Sue’s Story
“I had been in severe and constant pain with arthritis affecting my neck, back, shoulders, elbows, hands and ankles. However, it was my leg ulcers which were causing a great deal of problems for me and often led to me having cellulitis. I had been prescribed pain killers for this but these only seemed to dull the pain a little. By 2013, I seemed to spend most of my time lying in bed, in pain” explains Sue.

Following a consultation and product demonstration with a sales representative from Niagara Therapy, Sue invested in an adjustable bed complete with Niagara Therapy’s unique NHC Cyclo-Therapy system.

NHC Cyclo-Therapy works on a three-dimensional “cycloidal vibration” which is much less invasive than many standard massage devices giving a gentle and relaxing experience while stimulating the blood flow and muscles.

“When I first had the bed in August 2013 as recommended, I used the bed, with the NHC Cyclo-Therapy switched on, for about an hour before I got up, again around midday and finally before I settled down for the night.” Sue continues “as with the demonstration I had received, the effects were immediate in that my pain level was noticeably reduced. This reduction in pain initially lasted around 3 to 4 hours but the more I used the bed, the longer it lasted.”

Within only a couple of weeks of purchasing a bed and using its NHC Cyclo-Therapy action, Sue felt able to increase her activity levels. Previously any undertaking of the activities she enjoyed such as gardening and walking her dog had left her experiencing extreme levels of discomfort.

However, Sue now made sure she spent some time relaxing on her bed after gardening seeing a reduction in the pain levels she felt, making her afternoon much more bearable.

Where she saw the most dramatic results from using her NHC Cyclo-Therapy product was the impact it had on reducing her ulcers and improving her circulation, as Sue explains.

“I had an MRI scan which showed problems with my circulation in both legs in that my veins were ‘miss-directing’ the blood flow causing poor circulation which resulted in large ulcers and re-occurring cellulitis.

“I’d been seeing a dermatologist and a vascular surgeon for 5 to 6 years and all treatments had failed to improve my condition.

“I had also been seen by two orthopaedic consultants, with regard to having my knees replaced, both of whom said that whilst my knees did need replacing, the condition of my skin meant that this surgery would be too dangerous due to the possibility of infection. I was told that surgery would only be possible if the ulcers not only healed but my skin would have to remain intact for some months before knee surgery could even be considered.”

Within three months of using the bed, Sue noticed some of the smaller leg ulcers had started to heal. Then, slowly, the larger ulcers were improving also and no new ulcers appeared.

When she saw the vascular consultant, a month later, he was amazed as the numerous small ulcers had completely healed.

Sue continues “by February 2014 not only had all the ulcers healed but no more appeared and my skin remained intact and fairly healthy. I had also lost another four stone in weight so when I saw an orthopaedic consultant in August 2014, I told him my history regarding the ulcers expecting him to send me away but instead, he agreed to do the knee replacement. This undoubtedly would not have been possible if not for the use of the bed and NHC Cyclo-Therapy.”

In September 2014, Sue received a riser-recliner chair which also featured the NHC Cyclo-Therapy system. This enabled her to spend increasing amounts of time sitting comfortably instead of having to lie down to receive the benefits of the cycloidal vibration.

Sue is a firm believer that her Niagara Therapy bed and chair, both equipped with the unique NHC Cyclo-Therapy system has transformed her life.

“I initially purchased the bed as, after an hour’s demonstration in the comfort of my own home, there was such a noticeable reduction in the pain in my back and neck but particularly in my knees, which lasted for over four hours!

In November 2014, Sue finally had the knee replacement surgery she so desperately needed. She is now on a waiting list to receive similar surgery for her other knee.

“I was sure that with prolonged use of this bed it would only have a good effect on my levels of pain. However, time has shown that not only in my pain much reduced, there has been a fantastic improvement in the circulation in my legs which, initially, reduced then healed the ulcers I’d had for many years. This then led to my being able to have knee replacement surgery which would not have been possible without the use of the bed. Using it after surgery even allowed me to reduce the amount of painkillers I was on by half as the bed did the same work!”

“Thanks to the use of the bed and chair not only my physical but also my mental health has improved immensely. My whole life has improved incredibly and I’d hope that others could benefit too. Only the other day, I was also able to enjoy an activity I’d not been able to do for over 8 years, swimming in my local pool. Being able to do this will not only help me lose more weight, but will also increase my self-esteem.

“If this equipment can do this for me, then it could drastically improve the lives of others who use it.”