- All right, if you are
having leg circulation issues you must know the problem in
order to treat it properly. - And there are three common causes and we're gonna give you
solutions for each one. - That's right. Now there are three scenarios of common leg circulation problems, we're gonna give each one, and you can decide which
category you fit into. Okay, now these are scenarios
that you'll relate to. However, it is important
you do not self-diagnose, you need to see a doctor
to get it understood. However, this is really
gonna help you communicate with a doctor better and
understand your exercises as well. We're actually gonna show you one specific home exercise program that has proven to increase
leg circulation 74% and that'll come later in the video. - The first common cause
of leg circulation problems is arteriosclerosis. - Now, arteriosclerosis is actually the arteries are becoming plugged and the circulation to the leg
becomes impeded and declines. Now, I'm very familiar with
this, my father had it. Typically, you can walk
100, 200, 300 feet, but then your muscles in
your legs, calves and feet become very painful and fatigued and you feel like you need to sit. - Scenario number two is for the person that typically feels good in the morning and has no swelling in their
legs, but as the day goes on, it becomes a little more
painful and swollen. - Right, now this, the cause could vary, it could be varicose veins,
let the doctor decide. It's usually nothing to
get too concerned about but there are some exercises
and way to treat this at home so it can be treated
and managed quite well. - And scenario three is lymphedema. - Now, lymphedema is very specific, the treatment is a little more specific, but there's things you can do at home once you're educated on it. Now with lymphedema, just
so you understand it, it's as the blood goes
through your arteries, down into your legs, the natural way for the body
to feed nutrients to the cells is the arteries actually leak
out fluid, and that's lymph. It contains nutrients, and that's healthy. Now, what happens with lymphedema, the fluid needs to come back
up through the lymph nodes to get filtered, but for whatever reason, there's a number of different reasons, I'm not gonna go through them all, the doctor may know that for you, but the lymph gets impeded and it actually stays down in the foot, particularly below the
knee is very common. So, for example, pushing
into a swollen leg and you pull your finger
away, there is a dent there, that's called pitting edema. It's a very, very positive
sign that that is the case. That can be treated, we'll get into that at
the end of the video. - So if you have been diagnosed
with arterial sclerosis by your doctor, they may
order some medication for you, and also you may wanna
start a walking program. - Now, if a doctor
does, and they often do, give you a exercise program,
typically it's walking. Now the important part about
this is you're gonna exercise so that you get collateral circulation, your body actually forms new
arteries or circulation paths so that it can feed the muscles and you do not have the symptoms anymore. It's very important that you
do it in a methodic manner. In other words, you don't get up and walk as far as you possibly can
until your legs hurt so bad you can't walk anymore, you simply get up until you
start feeling pain in your legs and then you sit and you rest. Okay? And then you may get up and walk again and do that two or three
times, and then you're done. You may have only walked 300
feet in the whole exercise. Again, it may be a good
idea to have this prescribed and go through in detail with a therapist so that you do it properly. - So if you have no precautions and the doctor says this is okay, then you can actually
give foam rolling a try to help with your circulation. - Right, now, with this foam rolling that we're gonna go through briefly, it actually had some tests done on it, it improved leg circulation 74%. I'm gonna give you a brief
demonstration on how to do it. Now, if you wanna do this, you actually need to go to our video, and it's about 10 minutes long, goes through specific instructions on how to do all the exercises. That link will be at the end of the video, but simply, you go on the
floor with your foam roller and you're gonna actually work this, and this is gonna help
move the circulation, the blood flow, in your legs. And there's again, specific times, I'm not gonna get into it now, but we do work the legs basically from the ankles up to the hip. Check that video out,
and it's a good option, as long as the doctor says no precautions, do everything as it feels fine. Now, in scenario two, where
you wake up, no swelling, but your legs and ankles
swell by the end of the day and it's a cyclical
thing, happens every day, what you need to do is typically
walk throughout the day, not too far, so you're fatigued,
but not overly fatigued. And then throughout the day, anytime you sit down in a chair, elevate your feet like this so that, ideally you want them above your heart. It may not be possible. It's a lot better to have them like this versus down like this. Now if you have a recliner, you're actually gonna tilt the recliner up as far as comfortable, and if you can get them a
little higher with the recliner and you're comfortable, that's okay too. One way or another, keep them up. Make sure you walk throughout the day, and that should make
significant difference because the walking actually
helps pump that fluid back up where it belongs, out of the
legs and into the system, so it recycles as it should. - So if you are able to
lie down during the day and elevate your feet above your heart, that would be optimal. Do this for 10 to 20 minutes to help with that swelling in your legs. While you're here, you can also do some ankle pumping action for 20 repetitions. If you find this to be useful, you can actually purchase
a wedge pillow of sorts instead of using pillows, and it's a little more comfortable and easier to maneuver around. If you have a bunch of
pillows in your house, just use those, but this
is nice and comfortable and helps with that circulation. - Also, it's good for
back pain if you have it. Most people find it's wonderful for that, they're comfortable. Now, if you're diagnosed with lymphedema, your doctor may order some medications, but typically the exercise program of what you're gonna do at home is similar to what we just talked about. For example, you're gonna get up and walk throughout the day,
not too much, but consistently, maybe three times a day. Also, when you sit down,
elevate your feet as well, we wanna get that fluid to go
proximal or towards the core. If you're laying down, use
pillows or the leg wedge, just like we talked about. While your legs are up, ankle pumps while you're
sitting in your recliner or lying down, 10 to 20 reps
every half hour is good. Now, there's also some
other interesting treatment. Okay, another very common
way to treat lymphedema is with compression garments. Now, there's two real common types. One is Tubigrip. It looks like this, and it's
Tubigrip because it's a tube. It looks like this. It comes in a roll,
typically 10 yards long. You cut it off to the proper
length and you slip it on. They go on relatively
easy, the toes are exposed, that's the way it's supposed to be, and they come up just below the knee. Now with this, it's very important that you
know how to do it properly. We do have a video with
explicit instructions and done very well, it
happens to be by Bob and Brad, so look that up. We have the link so you
can look at that video if you haven't done it before,
so you make life easier. And the other option that's
common is compression socks. Now these socks are a little
bit difficult to get on, but they are made specifically so there's more compression
around the feet, usually 20 millimeters of mercury, you don't have to memorize that, but that's how it's labeled. And then up to 20 there or 30 here, sometimes it's 15 here and 20 here, the doctor will give you
information on which ones to get. Mike is wearing them right here. They work very well once you figure out how to get them on and off
easily and comfortably. There is one word of warning. If you do have lymphedema you're treating with the
compression garments, keep an eye on your skin. Oftentimes it can dry up, and if your skin does get dry and scaly, you need to see your doctor and they'll prescribe some kind of lotion. Oftentimes, it's
across-the-counter lotion, but when their skin does dry up, it can get little cracks in it and that can be an entry
point for germs or bacteria, which can cause an infection. It's one of those things
you really wanna avoid, and easy to avoid is
if you get at it early. - So if you wanna check out any of those videos
Brad mentioned earlier, you can find them pinned to
the top, comment down below. - Now, taking care of your
legs is really important. We hope this information is helpful and will get you on the right track. (bright music)
