Leg Care Tips

• Avoid Being Over Weight

Obesity puts added strain on your legs. Weight reduction can help aching legs and may decrease varicose and spider vein formation.

 

Exercise is wonderful for legs with varicose veins. Using the leg muscles pushes the blood back up through the deep veins to the heart. This reduces aching, throbbing, and tiredness of the limb.

 

Flexing your ankles helps pump blood back up your legs. If you are standing for a long time, or traveling long distances by car or plane, flex your ankles regularly. Try to walk around for at least 2 minutes every half hour.

 

High heels interfere with the normal pumping action of the muscles. This can lead to aching, cramping, and the production of varicose and spider veins.

 

Swelling can be reduced by elevating your legs above the level of your heart for at least ten minutes.

 

Remember to wear stockings with the correct compression for your type of problem. Research suggests that compression not only makes your legs feel better, it probably decreases the amount of new veins you will form in the future. 
 
If your job involves standing, wear compression stockings at work. Your legs will feel better at the end of the shift. It is no coincidence that nurses, teachers, bank tellers, and hairdressers are our biggest customers!