Your feet and ankles are further from the heart than any other points on your body, so it’s important to know how to improve circulation in your legs.
(Jirka Lejska / Wikimedia Commons)
For this reason, it is especially important that blood is able return from your lower extremities up to the heart without any difficulty. When you recognize that your circulatory system isn’t working properly, it’s likely time to make some changes to your lifestyle and contact your physician in order to work out a plan to get your blood properly flowing throughout your body again.
If you are diabetic, this issue becomes even more serious as poor circulation can often lead to a myriad of problems, including the formation of ulcers and potential amputation.
Luckily, there are several simple steps that can be taken to improve your circulation, such has:
How to Improve Circulation in Your Legs
1) Exercise Regularly
The transition from inactive to active can often be overwhelming for those looking to improve their health. The task doesn’t have to be daunting, however, if it is approached with the intent of gradually improving your levels of intensity and exercise duration rather than attempting to become a tri-athlete overnight. A good place to start is with some simple walking and then work your way up from there. If you begin to feel pain, take breaks as needed, but the goal should be to walk for 20-30 minutes a day, three to five days a week. From there, the sky’s the limit!
2) Maintain a Proper Diet
You are what you eat, and dietary choices often have a direct affect on your physical conditioning. Choosing to consume meals that are based on low-fat, minimally-processed foods are a great way to promote healthy blood flow and improve your overall physical health. Specific foods to include in your heart-healthy diet include oranges, sunflower seeds, salmon, avocados, watermelon, garlic and ginger.
3) Quit Smoking
It’s not easy, but quitting smoking can have a substantial affect on not only your circulatory system, but your overall health in general. Not only will kicking cigarettes to the curb help improve your blood flow, it will also help lung function and cut down your risk of heart disease.
4.) Circulator Boot Therapy
If the aforementioned at-home methods don’t work, the Circulator Boot Therapy available at Delray Beach Podiatry could be exactly what you need to treat and correct any of your nagging circulation problems.
“Every time I have used Circulator Boot Therapy, it has increased blood flow,” said Dr. Goldbaum, a podiatric physician and surgeon with over 30 years of experience. “It’s all about blood flow. If you have good blood flow, then you have oxygen and nutrients that the body needs to heal.”
The Circular Boot uses air pressure to provide a continuous series of gentle, short-duration compression pulses over the course of a 40-minute in-office session. The main reason that the system works so well is that a cardiac monitor attached to the patient’s chest controls the timing of the compressions.
“When the heart pumps, this pumps at the same time,” said Dr. Goldbaum. “This means that the compressions are working in conjunction with each other and not working against your body’s normal flow.”
In addition to the circulatory benefits of the treatment, Dr. Goldbaum also goes a step further when treating a patient’s wounds, adding a variety of antibiotic solutions to clean and treat the area throughout the series of compressions.
“Between the compressions and the solutions, it really gets a good washing in there,” said Dr. Goldbaum.
In summary, Circulator Boot Therapy is a noninvasive, complementary treatment that offers only positive effects on top of other potential forms of treatment. The treatment is cost effective, but not covered by medical insurance. If you live in South Florida and would like to know more about this revolutionary treatment, please see our contact information below.
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The content on this website is for informational purposes only. Do not rely or act upon information from www.DelrayBeachPodiatry.com without seeking professional medical advice. If you live in South Florida and would like a consultation with Dr. Ian Goldbaum, a podiatric physician and surgeon with over 30 years of experience, please see our contact information below:
BOCA/DELRAY
16244 S. Military Trail #290, Delray Beach, FL 33445
561-499-0033
BOYNTON BEACH
8198 Jog Road #100, Boynton Beach, FL 33472
561-499-0033
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