Have you noticed that your legs feel numb quickly? And then you have to knead it for a long time and uncomfortably?
Your legs often swell up and hurt for no apparent reason?
Perhaps the skin on your legs is covered in an irritating network of blood vessels?
At least one affirmative answer - and you are in danger. Most likely, you have varicose veins of the lower extremities. Because of this disease, the veins increase, which already leads to a disorder of blood flow - part of the blood passes from deep vessels to superficial ones.
There are even disappointing statistics on this. According to this, 30% of women and 10% of men in developed countries suffer from the disease. And these are just the ones that the doctors reached out to. As you can imagine, in reality the numbers are much higher, especially for people over 50.
Varicose veins start out with mild discomfort and do not cause serious problems. That's how it broke. I don't want to see a doctor because of "such nonsense", and the disease is now progressing. The skin gradually darkens, blood vessels swell like threads, and even trophic ulcers appear. Blood clots appear in the affected veins, which then reach other organs and disrupt the blood flow there. This can lead to a fatal outcome.
Have you ever thought that you could die from simple varicose veins?
People don't think about it. And it would be worth it.
After all, all of this is easy to avoid - you just need to consult a phlebologist in a timely manner. He will draw up a detailed program of complex treatment, and movement will have an important place in it.
Let's face it, not all types of workouts are equally beneficial. Some exercises will relieve your vein pain while others will make your condition seriously worse. Up to an urgent hospital stay.
Agree, it pays to distinguish one from the other.
In this article we will tell you in detail about the effective treatment of varicose veins through gymnastics.
But wait, you might panic early. Maybe you don't have varicose veins at all. Now let's compare your situation with the main signs of varicose veins.
This is how you can recognize varicose veins, even if they are just beginning
Some of the signs are visible to the naked eye, while others can only be felt. Let's start with the outer manifestation.
There are four main points:
- The cobwebs of the blood vessels appear on the skin, most often red, blue, or purple.
- The veins swell strongly - it looks like a rope stretched under the skin.
- Brown spots appear on the lower legs.
- The legs swell in the evening.
Another group of symptoms is not externally visible, but causes discomfort:
- Cramps and burning in the legs.
- Sensation of heaviness and pain.
- Itching near a dilated vein.
- Severe pain after standing or sitting for long periods of time.
As you can see, varicose veins manifest themselves in different ways. But even if you are not suffering from cramps and pain, this is no reason to postpone your visit to the doctor. The longer you wait, the further the disease will progress. One day, medical attention will not be a choice, it will be urgently needed.
Therefore, if you notice some of the signs of varicose veins on your legs, contact a phlebologist right away.
But what if you just can't get to the doctor in the near future? And the consequences of varicose veins are frightening. Or cramps, burning, pain and heaviness in your legs have made you so strong that you want to climb the wall. We tell you how you can help yourself in such a situation.
Varicose vein discomfort will decrease if you follow these 7 proven recommendations
Let's talk about the minus in a moment - these techniques don't have an immediate effect. Although we would like that very much. But they at least gradually reduce the symptoms of varicose veins. Here are 7 tips:
- Do gymnastics as often as possible. . . Every movement is good for blood circulation. Except maybe heavy lifting and running. But we're overtaking ourselves.
- Wear compression stockings. . . It supports the walls of the blood vessels and relieves them. The swelling and feeling of tension subside, the legs relax.
- Don't sit or stand in one place for a long time - walk every hour.This puts additional strain on the veins in the legs and prevents blood congestion. If you stand while working, try to regularly sit down for a few minutes. With legs raised. If you sit for a long time, get up and walk for at least a few minutes every hour to get your legs to pump blood back to your heart. The same goes for car journeys - stop for a short walk every 45-60 minutes.
- Do not stand near open flames or hot radiators.This affects the blood circulation.
- Eat less salty foods. . . Salt in the body disrupts fluid circulation.
- Take a relaxing bath at the beginning of the day, not at the end. . . And it is better to forego it altogether.
- Don't sleep sitting down. . . In this position, blood flow is difficult. Put your legs horizontally to reduce the stress on the vessels.
Remember that even strictly following 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 inform you about the next steps - sometimes it is a medication, sometimes a painless and quick operation, but the treatment is always accompanied by a change in lifestyle and exercise. We just talked about lifestyle. Now we will show you the most effective exercises.
These exercises will relieve the symptoms of varicose veins, slow their development, and prevent complications.
The expansion of blood vessels is mainly due to stagnation of the blood. Therapeutic leg exercises for varicose veins and edema help lower blood pressure and maintain blood circulation. It also improves the tone of the vein walls - so that the vessels do not expand even with an increase in pressure.
The choice of exercise depends on the stage of the disease. In any case, follow the motto "Better to walk and lie than sit and stand".
Walking, running, biking, and swimming are all beneficial. The easiest way to go is to activate the calf muscles to improve blood flow. Change positions and raise your legs frequently.
If your legs are not yet entangled by thick varicose veins and only the first signs of the disease are visible, then the following measures are useful for you:
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Stand on tiptoe, then slowly lower your heels until they touch the floor. Stand on tiptoe again and repeat the exercise. |
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Raise your left leg and move it as if describing an eight. Repeat with your right foot. |
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March on the spot and wave your arms vigorously. Raise your knees as high as possible - up to hip level. |
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Stand up straight and stretch your arms out in front of you. Sit down slowly. Make sure that your knees do not protrude over the edge of the foot. |
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Sit down and put your hands behind the back of the chair. Raise your legs toward your torso, then straighten them forward. |
In fact, your actions are aimed at improving blood flow to the lower extremities.
Now let's look at working with the feet - this is an elementary exercise and does not require a lot of strength and time.
This is how it's done:
- Lie or sit with your feet above your knees.
- Using your fingertips as a brush, draw a circle in the air. Don't move your entire leg, just move your ankle.
- Pull the sock towards you as far as it will go. You will feel a warmth in your calf muscle.
- Stretch your toes and lower your heels by moving your calf muscles.
- Rotate your feet - outward first, then towards each other.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
You don't need any special equipment for such activities. Take a seat on your favorite couch, lift your legs and exercise your joints. Don't forget to do varicose vein exercises on a regular basis, this is an easy way to improve your blood circulation.
We have an even more effective workout set - you can use it to stretch not only the muscles and joints of the legs, but also other parts of the body. However, this requires additional time to be found. If this is not possible, stop doing the previous exercises. If you can allow extra minutes, do the above and plus this complex.
Nevertheless, it stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, not just in the legs.
Activities for the neck and head:
- We make circular movements with our head - 10 in one direction and 10 in the other. Move slowly and feel your neck muscles work.
- We pull the chin towards the chest 3-4 times, then we pull the back of the head back, the same 3-4 times. Also slowly and carefully.
Exercises for shoulders and arms:
- We make circular movements with our shoulders forwards and then backwards. We move our shoulders slowly, we pull the muscles.
- We stretch our arms and make circular movements. You don't have to swing them like a windmill. Maintain a speed of 2 rpm. Don't hold your breath.
Exercises for the lower back:
- Put your hands on your belt. Rotate your lower back all the way on one side, then turn the other side 10 times.
- Lean back and forth. Keep your feet in one place.
Leg activities:Do 10 squats slowly. Additional weight cannot be used.
Press courses:
- Lie on your back and move your legs as if you were pedaling - exercise a bike.
- Rotate while lying down.
We completely forgot to talk about sports. But most of the time we are asked about it. The most rewarding sport for you is swimming. When immersed in water, the pressure in the circulatory system normalizes. Swimming is not only good for the heart, but also good for the immune and nervous systems. It also strengthens the leg muscles.
How about another sport? For example, is it possible to walk?
Not all exercises are good for blood vessels. Let's get to those who can seriously harm you.
What exercises kill the overall result of treating varicose veins
Let's say you are the ideal patient. You follow all the doctor's instructions: take medication, wear compression garments, change your lifestyle. The symptoms of the disease gradually go away. You are happy, the doctor is happy.
And then you think, why not consolidate the result with regular exercise? And to completely forget about varicose veins and train your legs, you decide to crouch with a good load.
Bad idea. Now all the work is down the drain. Your blood vessels will expand even more than before.
What's happening?
There are a number of exercises that increase the load on the veins and destroy them with weakened vascular walls:
- Strength exercises.
- Weighted squats.
- Prolonged use of the exercise bike.
- Jump high and far.
- Running on a hard surface.
No treatment will help if you continue to run or lift at the gym regularly. Therefore, do not try fate.
5 Powerful Accelerators for Your Varicose Vein Recovery
Yes, they are commonplace. We have already talked about some of them. But believe me, they are really important and worth repeating.
If you've already reached out to a phlebologist and started vascular treatment, these 5 tips will help you get better faster:
- Do not sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time. Crossing the legs is particularly dangerous - this affects the blood circulation.
- Do the recommended exercises regularly, walk more, and wear comfortable shoes.
- Use a compression stocking chosen by your doctor.
- Monitor your weight. In obese people, the load on the venous system increases.
- After the exercises, lie on your back with your feet against the wall above your head. This allows the blood to drain out of the legs.
But that's not a panacea. Again, these recommendations only help in combination with treatment. Without the help of a doctor, you will not be able to cope with the disease.
By the way, do you remember we talked about the symptoms of varicose veins? Let's say you found her. But only a phlebologist can make an accurate diagnosis. Remember that treatment begins with a correct diagnosis.
Where can you diagnose varicose veins?
The accuracy of the diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower extremities depends on the facilities of the clinic. Doctors perform duplex ultrasound angioscanning while examining patients. It is a quick and painless method of examining superficial and deep vessels.
The doctor can clearly see the problem area of the veins and obstacles to blood movement. It quickly detects weakened venous valves.
The study enables the phlebologist to obtain accurate information about the vessels and create a detailed treatment plan.
But the diagnosis is just the beginning. Every patient must be treated first. It is important who does it and what equipment is used.