Varicose veins can be more than a cosmetic concern; they often come with discomfort and swelling, affecting daily life. While various treatment options are available, many seek natural remedies to alleviate symptoms. With its gentle yet effective poses, yoga offers promising ways of managing varicose veins. According to NCBI, about 73% of the global population is affected by varicose veins. However, you should know that treating this condition is possible, and yoga is one of the best treatments available.
In this blog, you will learn about treatments and the best yoga poses for varicose veins in the legs.
Benefits of Yoga for Varicose Veins
Yoga has been shown to have beneficial effects on your varicose veins. Here are some of the benefits of yoga for varicose veins in legs:
- Improve Your Blood Circulation: The blood circulation throughout your body improves significantly with the help of yoga poses for varicose veins. This can minimize blood pooling in your veins and alleviate symptoms of varicose veins.
- Reduce Swelling and Inflammation: The gentle movements and postures present in yoga can be combined with breathing to reduce varicose vein symptoms like swelling and inflammation.
- Enhance Your Muscle Strength: Engaging in specific poses of yoga for varicose veins in the legs can effectively strengthen your leg muscles. If your leg muscles are strong, they can improve blood circulation and support your venous system. This can lower the symptoms of varicose veins.
- Help in Weight Management: Certain yoga poses and movements can help you manage general health and control your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical for treating varicose veins.
8 Best Yoga Poses for Varicose Veins
Various yoga poses can help alleviate the symptoms of varicose veins. Here are the best yoga poses for varicose veins:
- Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall): Lie on your back and extend your legs up against a wall. This pose improves blood circulation from the legs back to the heart. Viparita Karani helps reduce swelling and pressure in the veins by elevating the legs.
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose): Stand tall with your feet together, arms by your sides, and your spine straight. Tadasana aids in enhancing posture and promoting better circulation. This, in turn, alleviates strain on the veins in the legs.
- Navasana (Boat Pose): Sit on the floor with your knees bent and lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your sitting bones. Boat Pose strengthens core muscles, improving blood flow to the legs and reducing discomfort associated with varicose veins.
- Matsyasana (Fish Pose): While lying on your back, lift your chest by arching your back and supporting yourself with your forearms. Fish Pose stretches the chest and neck, relieving tension and enhancing blood circulation, which is beneficial for varicose veins.
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Yoga Pose): Lie on your back and lift your legs and lower body upward, supporting your back with your hands. This inversion posture facilitates blood flow from the legs to the heart, reducing swelling and promoting vein health.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog): Start on your hands and knees, then lift your hips upward, forming an inverted V shape with your body. Downward-facing dog stretches the calves and hamstrings, encouraging blood flow from the legs to the heart and relieving pressure on the veins.
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose): Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart. Elevate your hips towards the ceiling while keeping your shoulders grounded. Bridge Pose strengthens the legs and opens the chest, fostering improved circulation and relieving varicose veins.
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then fold forward from the hips, reaching towards the ground or gripping your ankles. Uttanasana stretches the hamstrings and calves, promoting enhanced blood circulation in the legs.
Medical Treatment Options of Varicose Veins
If the varicose veins don't go away with simple treatment methods and cause more problems, your next option is medical treatment procedures. Here are some of the medical treatment options for varicose veins:
- Laser Treatment: Laser treatment uses intense bursts of light onto the vein, causing it to fade and vanish gradually. In this treatment, no cuts or needles are needed.
- High ligation and Vein Stripping: This method entails tying off a vein before it meets a deeper vein and removing it by minor incisions. Most patients have this surgery as an outpatient. Blood will continue to flow in the leg even after the vein is removed because larger amounts of blood are handled by more profound veins in the leg.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy: In this treatment, your doctor removes the smaller varicose veins using microscopic skin punctures. In this outpatient surgery, just the pierced areas of the leg are numbed. Scarring is usually mild.
- Sclerotherapy: In this treatment, your doctor injects a solution or foam into the varicose veins, scarring and closing them. Varicose veins that have been treated should disappear within a few weeks.
Treat Your Varicose Veins with North Atlanta Vascular Clinic
Do you have varicose veins and are looking for treatment for this condition? If yes, then visit us at North Atlanta Vascular Clinic. We have a team of experienced varicose veins doctors in Suwanee, GA, and we use the latest treatment for your varicose veins. Contact us today for more information on our services.