Have you noticed your legs quickly start to feel numb? And then you have to knead them for a long and unpleasant way?
Do your legs often swell and hurt for no apparent reason?
Maybe your skin on your legs is covered with an irritating mesh of blood vessels?
At least one affirmative answer - and you are at risk. Most likely you have varicose veins of the lower extremities. Because of this disease, the veins increase, and this already leads to a violation of blood flow - some of the blood gets from deep vessels into superficial ones.
There are even disappointing statistics on this score. According to it, in developed countries, 30% of women and 10% of men suffer from the disease. And these are only those who have reached the doctors. As you can imagine, in reality the numbers are much higher, especially among people over 50.
Varicose veins begin with mild discomfort and do not cause serious problems. This is how he is cunning. Because of "such nonsense" I do not want to go to the doctor, and the disease, meanwhile, is progressing. The skin gradually darkens, blood vessels swell like ropes and even trophic ulcers appear. Blood clots appear in the affected veins, which subsequently enter other organs and disrupt blood circulation in them. As a result, a lethal outcome is possible.
Have you ever thought that you can die from simple varicose veins?
People don't think about this. And it would be worth it.
After all, all this is easy to avoid - you just need to consult a phlebologist on time. He will draw up a detailed program of complex treatment and exercise will take an important place in it.
Let's face it, not all types of workouts are equally beneficial. Some exercises will ease your vein pain, while others will seriously worsen your condition. Up to urgent 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 situation with the main signs of varicose veins.
How to recognize varicose veins, even if it is just beginning
Some of the signs are visible to the naked eye, others can only be felt. Let's start with the external manifestation.
There are four main ones:
- The cobwebs of blood vessels appear on the skin, most often red, blue or purple.
- The veins swell up a lot - it looks like a rope stretched under the skin.
- Brown spots appear on the lower legs.
- Legs swell in the evenings.
Another group of symptoms is not visible externally, but it causes discomfort:
- Cramps and burning in the legs.
- Feeling of heaviness and pain.
- Itching near a distended vein.
- 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 suffer from cramps and pains, this is not a reason to delay the visit to the doctor. The longer you wait, the more the disease progresses. Someday, medical attention will not be a choice, but an urgent need.
Therefore, if you found yourself with some of the signs of varicose veins of the legs - immediately contact a phlebologist.
But what if in the near future you just can't get to the doctor? And the consequences of varicose veins scare you. Or cramps, burning, pain and heaviness in your legs got you so much that you already want to climb the wall. We will tell you how to help yourself in such a situation.
Discomfort from varicose veins will decrease if you follow these 7 proven recommendations
Let's talk about the minus right away - these techniques do not give an instant effect. Although we would really like that. 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. Except maybe heavy weightlifting and running. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
- Wear compression hosiery. . . It supports the walls of blood vessels and relieves pressure on them. The swelling and tightness subside, the legs relax.
- Don't sit or stand in one place for a long time - walk every hour.This will put additional stress on the veins in the legs and prevent blood from stagnating. If you are standing while working, try to sit down regularly for a few minutes. With legs raised. If you are sitting for a long time, then get up and walk for at least a few minutes every hour so that your legs pump blood back to your heart. The same is true for road trips - stop every 45-60 minutes for a short walk.
- Do not stand near open flames or hot radiators.This impairs 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 altogether.
- Do not sleep while sitting. . . In this position, blood circulation is difficult. Place your legs horizontally to reduce the stress on the vessels.
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 is taking medication, sometimes a painless and quick operation, but always the treatment is accompanied by a change in lifestyle and exercise. We just talked about lifestyle. Now let's show you the most effective exercises.
These exercises will ease the symptoms of varicose veins, slow down its development and prevent complications.
The expansion of blood vessels is largely due to stagnation of blood. Therapeutic leg exercises for varicose veins and edema helps to lower blood pressure and maintain blood circulation. It also improves the tone of the venous walls - so that even with an increase in pressure, the vessels will not expand.
The choice of exercise depends on the stage of the disease. But in any case, follow the motto "it is better to walk and lie down than 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. Change positions frequently and raise your legs.
If your legs have not yet been entangled with thick varicose 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. Rise on your toes again and repeat the exercise. |
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Raise your left leg and move it, as if describing an eight. Repeat this with your right foot. |
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March in place and wave your arms vigorously. Raise 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 that your knees do not go beyond the border of the feet. |
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Sit down and place your hands behind the back of the chair. Raise your legs towards your torso, and then extend them forward. |
In fact, your actions are aimed at improving blood circulation in the lower extremities.
Now let's look at working with the feet - this is an elementary exercise and does not require much effort and a lot of time.
Here's how it is done:
- Lie or sit with your feet above your knees.
- Use your fingertips as a brush and draw a circle in the air. Don't move your entire leg, just 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 feet - first outward, then towards each other.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
You do not need special equipment for such activities. Take a seat on your favorite couch, lift your legs and exercise your joints. Do not forget to do exercises for varicose veins regularly and then you can easily improve your blood circulation.
We have an even more effective set of workouts - with it you will stretch the muscles and joints of not only the legs, but also other parts of the body. But this will require additional time to be found. 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 and plus this complex.
Still, 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, feel your neck muscles working.
- We pull the chin to the chest 3-4 times, then we pull the back of the head to the back, the same 3-4 times. Also slowly and carefully.
Exercises for shoulders and arms:
- We make circular movements with our shoulders forward, and then back. We move our shoulders slowly, pulling the muscles.
- We straighten our arms and make 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:
- Place 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 forth. Keep your feet in one place.
Leg activities:Do 10 squats slowly. Additional weight cannot be used.
Press classes:
- Lie on your back and move your legs like pedaling - exercise a bicycle.
- Perform twisting while lying down.
We completely forgot to talk about sports. But we are asked about this most often. The most rewarding 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 those that can seriously harm you.
What exercises kill the whole result from the treatment of varicose veins
Let's say you are the ideal patient. You follow all the doctor's orders: 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 in order 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 down the drain. Your blood vessels will expand even more than before.
What's the matter?
There are a number of exercises that increase the load on the veins and destroy them if the vascular walls are weakened:
- Strength exercises.
- Weighted squats.
- Prolonged use of the exercise bike.
- Jumping high and long.
- Running on a hard surface.
No amount of treatment will help if you continue to run or lift regularly at the gym. Therefore, do not tempt fate.
5 powerful accelerators of your recovery from varicose veins
Yes, they are commonplace. We have already spoken about some of them. But believe me, they are really important and worth repeating.
If you have already 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 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 hosiery selected by your doctor.
- Monitor your weight. In obese people, the load on the venous system increases.
- After doing the exercises, lie on your back and rest your feet against the wall so that they are above your head. This will allow blood to drain from the legs.
But this is not a panacea. Again, these recommendations help only in combination with treatment. Without the help of a doctor, you will not be able to cope with the disease.
By the way, remember we talked about the symptoms of varicose veins? Let's say you found them. But only a phlebologist can make an accurate diagnosis. Remember, treatment starts with a correct diagnosis.
Where to get diagnosed for varicose veins
The accuracy of the diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower extremities depends on the equipment of the clinic. During the examination of patients, doctors perform ultrasound duplex angioscanning. It is a quick and painless method for examining superficial and deep vessels.
The doctor clearly sees the problem area of the veins and obstacles to the movement of blood. It quickly identifies weakened venous valves.
The study allows the phlebologist to obtain accurate information about the vessels and draw up a detailed treatment plan.
But diagnostics is just the beginning. Any patient needs treatment first. It is important who will conduct it and on what equipment.