Have you noticed that your legs start to numb quickly? And then you have to ferment them for a long and unpleasant way?
Do your feet often swell and ache for no apparent reason?
Maybe the skin on your feet is covered with an irritating network of blood vessels?
At least one answer in the affirmative - and you risk it. You are more likely to have varicose veins in your lower extremities. Because of this disease, the veins enlarge and this already leads to a violation of blood flow - part of the blood passes from the deep vessels to the superficial ones.
There are even disappointing statistics for this score. According to her, in developed countries, 30% of women and 10% of men suffer from the disease. And they are the only ones who have reached the doctors. As you can imagine, the numbers are actually much higher, especially among people over 50 years old.
Varicose veins start with mild discomfort and do not cause serious problems. So he is cunning. Because of "such nonsense" I do not want to go to the doctor, and the disease, meanwhile, progresses. The skin gradually darkens, the blood vessels swell like ropes and even food ulcers appear. Blood clots appear in the affected veins, which then enter other organs and disrupt blood circulation in them. As a result, a fatal outcome is possible.
Have you ever thought that you can die from simple varicose veins?
People do not think that. And it would be worth it.
After all, all this is easy to avoid - you just need to consult a venologist in time. He will prepare a detailed program of complex treatment and exercise will play an important role in this.
Admittedly, not all types of workouts are equally beneficial. Some exercises will relieve the pain of your veins, while others will seriously worsen your condition. Until emergency hospitalization.
Agree, it's worth distinguishing one from the other.
In this article we will tell you in detail about the effective treatment of varicose veins from exercise.
But wait, you may panic early. You may not 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 the beginning
Some of the marks are visible to the naked eye, others are only noticeable. Let's start with the outdoor event.
There are four main ones:
- Blood vessel cobwebs appear on the skin, most often red, blue or purple.
- The veins swell a lot - it looks like a rope stretched under the skin.
- Brown spots appear on the lower legs.
- The feet are swollen at night.
Another group of symptoms is not visible externally, but causes discomfort:
- Cramps and burning in the legs.
- Feeling of weight and pain.
- Itching near a dilated vein.
- Severe pain after prolonged standing or sitting.
As you can see, varicose veins manifest in different ways. But even if you do not suffer from cramps and pain, this is not a reason to delay a visit to the doctor. The longer you wait, the more the disease progresses. One day, medical care will not be an option, but an urgent need.
Therefore, if you find yourself with any of the varicose veins of the legs - contact a venologist immediately.
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, the burning, the pain and the weight on your legs did so much that you already want to climb the wall. We will tell you how to help yourself in such a situation.
Varicose veins will be reduced if you follow these 7 proven recommendations
Let's talk about the minus right away - these techniques do not give an instant result. Although we would love to. But at least they do reduce the discomfort of varicose veins. Here are 7 tips:
- Exercise as often as possible. . . Any exercise is good for blood circulation. Except maybe for weightlifting and running. But we succeed.
- Wear compression stockings. . . It supports the walls of blood vessels and relieves pressure on them. The swelling and tightness subside, the legs relax.
- Do not sit or stand in one place for a long time - walk every hour.This will put extra pressure on the veins in the legs and prevent blood stasis. If you are standing while working, try to sit up regularly for a few minutes. With feet up. If you sit for a long time, then get up and walk for 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 damages the blood circulation.
- Eat less salty foods. . . Salt in the body interferes with the circulation of fluid.
- Take a relaxing bath at the beginning of the day, not at the end. . . And it's better to do without them completely.
- Do not sleep while sitting. . . In this position, blood circulation is difficult. Place your feet horizontally to reduce pressure on the vessels.
Remember, even strict adherence to our tips will not cure you of varicose veins. Contact a venologist - this is the only way to get rid of diseased blood vessels forever.
The doctor will tell you about the next steps - sometimes it is taking medication, sometimes a painless and quick operation, but always the treatment is accompanied by a change of lifestyle and exercise. We just talked about lifestyle. Now let's show you the most effective exercises.
These exercises will alleviate the symptoms of varicose veins, slow down their development and prevent complications.
The dilation of blood vessels is largely due to the stagnation of blood. Therapeutic leg exercises for varicose veins and edema help lower blood pressure and maintain blood circulation. It also improves the tone of the venous walls - so that even with increasing pressure, the vessels do not dilate.
The choice of exercise depends on the stage of the disease. But in any case, follow the motto "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 engage the calf muscles, improving blood circulation. You often change positions and lift your legs.
If your feet are not yet entangled with thick veins and only the initial 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 on your toes again and repeat the exercise. |
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Lift your left foot and move it, as if describing an eight. Repeat this with your right foot. |
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Get in your seat and shake your hands loudly. Raise your knees as high as possible - at waist height. |
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Stand up straight and stretch your arms in front of you. Sit down slowly. Make sure your knees do not exceed the limits of your feet. |
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Sit down and place your hands behind the back of the chair. Lift your legs towards your torso and then stretch them forward. |
In fact, your actions are aimed at improving blood circulation in the lower extremities.
Now let's look at walking work - this is a basic exercise and does not require much effort and time.
See how it is done:
- Lie down or sit with your feet above your knees.
- Use your fingers as a brush and draw a circle in the air. Do not move your whole leg, only your ankle.
- Pull the sock towards you to the limit. You will feel warmth in your calf muscle.
- Stretch your toes and lower your heels by moving your calf muscles.
- Turn your legs - first outwards and then to each other.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
You do not need special equipment for such activities. Sit on your favorite couch, lift your legs and exercise your joints. Do not forget to do regular exercises for varicose veins and then you can easily improve your blood circulation.
We have an even more effective set of workouts - with this you will stretch the muscles and joints not only of the legs, but also of other parts of the body. But this will take extra time to find. If this is not possible, stop at the previous exercises. If you can carve out extra minutes it turns out, do the ones described above plus this cluster.
However, it stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, not just the legs.
Throat and head activities:
- We make circular movements with our head - 10 in one direction and 10 in the other. Move slowly, feel your neck muscles work.
- Pull the chin to the chest 3-4 times, then pull the back of the head back, the same 3-4 times. Also slowly and carefully.
Exercises for the shoulders and arms:
- We make circular movements with our shoulders forward and then back. We move our shoulders slowly, we pull the muscles.
- We raise our arms and make circular movements. You do not need to shake them like a windmill. Maintain a speed of 2 rpm. l. Do not hold your breath.
Exercises for the lower back:
- Put your hands on your belt. Rotate the lower back to one side and then to the other side 10 times.
- Lean back and forth. Keep your feet in one place.
Walking activities:Do 10 squats slowly. No extra weight can be used.
Type courses:
- Lie on your back and move your legs like a pedal - exercise a bike.
- Perform a twist while lying down.
We completely forgot to talk about sports. But they ask us more often about it. The most satisfying 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 another sport? Is it possible, for example, to run?
Not all exercises are good for blood vessels. Let's move on to the ones that can seriously hurt you.
Which exercises kill the whole effect of treating varicose veins
Let's say you are the ideal patient. Follow all the doctor's instructions: take medication, wear compression underwear, change your lifestyle. The symptoms of the disease gradually disappear. You rejoice, the doctor rejoices.
And then you think, why not consolidate the result with regular training? And to completely forget about varicose veins and train your legs, you decide to squat with a good load.
Bad idea. Now all the work is under the sewer. Your blood vessels will expand even more than before.
What happens?
There are a number of exercises that increase the load on the veins and destroy them if the vascular walls weaken:
- Strengthening exercises.
- Weighted squats.
- Prolonged use of the exercise bike.
- Jumping high and far.
- Running on a hard surface.
No treatment will help if you continue to run or get up regularly at the gym. Therefore, do not mind fate.
5 powerful accelerators of your varicose vein recovery
Yes, it is a common place. We have already talked about some of them. But believe me, they are really important and worth repeating.
If you have already consulted a venologist and started vascular therapy, 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 especially dangerous to cross your legs - this interferes with blood circulation.
- Do the recommended exercises regularly, walk more and wear comfortable shoes.
- Use a compression sock selected by your doctor.
- Watch your weight. In obese people, the load on the venous system increases.
- After doing the exercises, lie on your back and rest your feet on the wall so that it is above your head. This will allow blood to drain from the feet.
But this is not a panacea. Again, these recommendations only help in conjunction with treatment. Without the help of a doctor, you will not be able to treat the disease.
By the way, remember we talked about the symptoms of varicose veins? Let's say you found them. But only a venologist can make an accurate diagnosis. Remember, treatment starts with the right diagnosis.
Where to diagnose varicose veins
The accuracy of the diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower extremities depends on the equipment of the clinic. When examining patients, doctors perform a double ultrasound angiography. It is a quick and painless method for examining superficial and deep vessels.
The doctor clearly sees the problematic area of the veins and the obstacles to the movement of blood. Quickly locates weakened venous valves.
The study allows the venologist to obtain accurate information about the vessels and draw up a detailed treatment plan.
But diagnostics are just the beginning. Every patient needs treatment first. It is important who will do it and with what equipment.