Have you ever noticed your feet start to feel numb? And then you have to knead them in a long and unpleasant way?
Do your feet often swell and ache for no apparent reason?
Maybe your skin on your feet is covered with an irritating network of blood vessels?
At least one affirmative answer - and you’re at risk. Most likely you have varicose veins on the lower part of the leg. Because of this disease, the veins increase, and this already leads to a violation of blood flow - part of the blood gets from the deep ducts into the superficial.
In fact there are disappointing statistics on this score. According to him, in developed countries, 30% of women and 10% of men suffer from this disease. And these are the only ones who have gotten to the doctor. As you can imagine, in fact the number is much higher, especially among people over the age of 50.
Varicose veins start with mild discomfort and do not cause serious problems. This is how cunning he is. Because of "such nonsense" I didn’t want to go to the doctor, and the disease, meanwhile, was developing. The skin gradually darkens, blood vessels swell like cords and even trophic ulcers appear. Blood clots appear in the affected veins, which then enter other organs and interfere with blood circulation in them. As a result, fatal outcomes are possible.
Have you ever thought that you can die from a simple varicose vein?
People don’t think about this. And it will be worth it.
After all, all this is easily avoided - you just need to consult a phlebologist in a timely manner. He will devise a detailed program of complex treatments and exercise will take an important place in it.
Let’s face it, not all types of exercise are equally beneficial. Some exercises will reduce your varicose veins, while others will seriously worsen your condition. Until immediate hospitalization.
Agree, it is worth distinguishing one from the other.
In this article we will tell you in detail about the effective treatment of varicose veins by gymnastics.
But wait, you might panic early. Maybe you don’t have varicose veins at all. Now let’s compare your condition with the main signs of varicose veins.
How to recognize varicose veins, even if it is just beginning
Some marks can be seen with the naked eye, others can only be felt. Let's start with the external manifestations.
There are four main ones:
- Blood vessel spider webs appear on the skin, usually red, blue or purple.
- The veins swell a lot - it looks like a rope stretched under the skin.
- Brown spots appear on the bottom of the legs.
- Legs swell in the evening.
Other groups of symptoms are not visible externally, but they cause discomfort:
- Cramps and burning in the legs.
- Heaviness and pain.
- Itching near the veins stretches.
- Severe pain after standing or sitting for a long time.
As you can see, varicose veins manifest themselves in different ways. But even if you do not experience cramps and pain, this is not a reason to postpone a visit to the doctor. The longer you wait, the more the disease develops. One day, medical treatment will not be an option, but an urgent need.
Therefore, if you find yourself having some signs of varicose veins on the legs - immediately contact a phlebologist.
But what if in the near future you can not go to the doctor? And the consequences of varicose veins scare you. Or the cramps, burning, pain and heaviness in your legs cause you so much that you already want to climb a wall. We will tell you how to help yourself in such a situation.
Discomfort due to varicose veins will be reduced if you follow these 7 proven recommendations
Let’s talk about immediate minus - this technique doesn’t give an immediate effect. Although we really like it. But they at least gradually reduce the discomfort from varicose veins. Here are 7 tips:
- Do gymnastics as often as possible. . . Any exercise is good for blood circulation. Unless maybe lift heavy weights and run. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
- Wear compression socks. . . It supports the walls of blood vessels and relieves pressure on them. Swelling and tightness decreases, feet relax.
- Don’t sit or stand in one place for long periods of time - walk every hour.This will put extra pressure on the veins in the legs and prevent the blood from stagnating. If you stand while working, try to sit regularly for a few minutes. With legs raised. If you sit for a long time, then get up and walk at least a few minutes every hour so that your feet pump blood back to your heart. The same goes for road trips - stop every 45-60 minutes for a short walk.
- Do not stand near open flames or hot radiators.This affects blood circulation.
- Eat less salty foods. . . Salt in the body interferes with fluid circulation.
- Take a relaxing shower at the beginning of the day, not at the end of the day. . . And it's better to do without them at all.
- Do not sleep while sitting. . . In this position, blood circulation is difficult. Place your feet horizontally to reduce pressure on the vessel.
Remember, even strict adherence to our advice will not cure you of varicose veins. Contact a phlebologist-this is the only way to get rid of diseased vessels forever.
The doctor will tell you about the next steps-sometimes it takes medication, sometimes the operation is painless and quick, but always treatment is accompanied by lifestyle changes and exercise. We’re just talking about lifestyle. Now let’s show you the most effective exercises.
This exercise will relieve the symptoms of varicose veins, slow their development and prevent complications.
The expansion of blood vessels is largely due to blood stasis. Therapeutic leg exercises for varicose veins and edema help lower blood pressure and maintain blood circulation. It also increases the tone of the venous wall - so that even with an increase in pressure, the vessel will not expand.
The choice of exercise depends on the stage of the disease. But in any case, follow the motto "it's better to walk and lie down than to sit and stand. "
Walking, running, cycling, and swimming are all beneficial. The easiest way to walk is to involve the calf muscles, increasing blood circulation. Change positions frequently and lift your legs.
If your legs are not yet entangled with thick varicose veins and only the first signs of the disease are visible, then the following actions will be useful to you:
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Stand on your toes, and then slowly lower your heels until they touch the floor. Get up with your toes again and repeat the exercise. |
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Lift your left leg and move it, as if depicting eight. Repeat this with your right foot. |
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March in place and wave your hand out loud. Lift your knees as high as possible - to waist level. |
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Stand up straight and stretch your arms out in front of you. Sit down slowly. Make sure your knees do not cross the leg limit. |
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Sit down and place your hands behind the back of the chair. Lift your legs toward your body, and then extend them forward. |
In fact, your actions are aimed at increasing blood circulation in the lower legs.
Now let’s look at working with the legs - this is a basic exercise and doesn’t require a lot of effort and a lot of time.
Here's how:
- Lie down or sit with your feet on your knees.
- Use your fingertips as a brush and draw a circle in the air. Do not move your whole leg, only your ankles.
- Pull the socks towards you up to the limit. You will feel the warmth in your calf muscles.
- Stretch your toes and lower your heels by moving your calf muscles.
- Turn your legs - first outwards, then towards each other.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
You do not need special equipment for the activity. Sit on your favorite couch, lift your legs and train your joints. Don’t forget to do exercises for varicose veins regularly and then you can smooth out your blood circulation easily.
We have a more effective set of exercises - with it you will stretch the muscles and joints of not only the legs, but also other parts of the body. But this takes extra time to discover. If this is not possible, stop the previous exercise. If you can carve out extra minutes it turns out, do the ones described above and add to this complex.
However, it stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, not just in the legs.
Activities for the neck and head:
- We make circular movements with our heads - 10 in one direction and 10 in the other. Move slowly, feel your neck muscles working.
- We pull the chin to the chest 3-4 times, then we pull the back of the head backwards, the same 3-4 times. Also be slow and careful.
Exercises for the shoulders and arms:
- We make circular movements with our shoulders forward, and then backward. We move our shoulders slowly, we pull the muscles.
- We straightened our arms and made circular movements. You don’t have to wave them like a windmill. Maintain a speed of 2 rpm. Don't hold your breath.
Lower back exercises:
- Put your hands on your belt. Rotate the lower back all the way to one side, and then to the other side 10 times.
- Lean back and forward. Keep your feet in one place.
Foot activity:Do 10 squats slowly. Extra weight should not be used.
Press class:
- Lie on your back and move your legs like pedaling - exercise on a bicycle.
- Do a spin while lying down.
We really forgot to talk about sports. But we are often asked about this. The most beneficial sport for you is swimming. When immersed in water, the pressure in the circulatory system returns to normal. Swimming is beneficial not only for the heart, but also for the immune and nervous systems. It also strengthens the leg muscles.
What about other sports? Is it possible, for example, to run?
Not all exercise is good for blood vessels. Let’s move on to the things that can harm you.
What exercise kills the whole result of varicose vein treatment
Let’s say you are an ideal patient. You follow all the doctor’s instructions: take medicine, wear compression underwear, change your lifestyle. The symptoms of the disease gradually disappear. You rejoice, the doctor rejoices.
And then you think, why not combine the results with regular training? And to completely forget about varicose veins and train your legs, you decided to squat with a good load.
Bad idea. Now all the work is done. Your blood vessels will dilate more than before.
What's the problem?
There are several exercises that increase the load on the veins and destroy them if the vascular wall is weak:
- Strength training.
- Heavy squatting.
- Prolonged use of exercise bikes.
- Jump high and long.
- Running on hard surfaces.
No amount of treatment will help if you keep running or lifting regularly at the gym. So do not tempt fate.
5 powerful accelerators of your recovery from varicose veins
Yes, they are normal. We’ve talked about some of them. But believe me, they are very important and worth repeating.
If you have turned to a phlebologist and started vascular treatment, these 5 tips will help you regain your health faster:
- Do not sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time. It is very dangerous to cross your legs - this interferes with blood circulation.
- Do the recommended exercises regularly, walk more, and wear comfortable shoes.
- Use compression socks selected by your doctor.
- Monitor your weight. In obese people, the load on the venous system increases.
- After doing the exercise, lie on your back and place your feet on the wall so that they are above your head. This will allow blood to flow from the feet.
But this is not a panacea. Again, these recommendations only help in combination with treatment. Without the help of a doctor, you will not be able to overcome this disease.
By the way, remember we talked about the symptoms of varicose veins? Let's say you find them. But only a phlebologist can make an accurate diagnosis. Remember, treatment begins with a proper diagnosis.
Where to get a diagnosis of varicose veins
The accuracy of the diagnosis of varicose veins in the lower extremities depends on the clinical equipment. During the examination of the patient, the doctor performs duplex ultrasound angioscanning. It is a quick and painless method of examining shallow and deep channels.
The doctor clearly sees the problem areas of the veins and the obstruction to the movement of blood. It quickly identifies a weak venous valve.
The study allows phlebologists to obtain accurate information about the vessel and draw up a detailed treatment plan.
But diagnostics are just the beginning. Any patient needs treatment first. It is important who will run it and on what equipment.