Do you know what soft tissues need in order to function normally and recover from injury? In a word: blood. It is what your body uses to deliver oxygen, nutrients, and natural healing substances throughout the body – including the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet.
This is only to say that poor foot circulation won’t just make you uncomfortable. It can slow or prevent full recuperation from a foot injury, and may eventually put you at higher risk of injury or illness as well. If you have poor circulation in your feet, then it is in your best interest to take action!
How Do You Know If You Have Poor Foot Circulation?
If you have poor circulation in your feet, then you may already have noticed any of the following symptoms:
| ● Coldness | ● Numbness | ● Tingling |
| ● Discoloration | ● Cramps | ● Pain
|
You may also have a higher risk of poor foot circulation if you are living with diabetes, peripheral artery disease (PAD), blood clots, or Raynaud’s disease.
How Do You Treat Poor Foot Circulation?
It is possible to improve circulation through prescription drugs. Vasodilators such as pentoxifylline (which is not coincidentally a treatment for PAD) can be effective, as can anticoagulants like warfarin. But like all drugs, vasodilators and anticoagulants (A) cost money, and (B) have potential side effects and contraindications. You would rather avoid these issues, which begs the real question:
How Do You Treat Poor Foot Circulation, Naturally?
It’s possible for anyone to enhance foot circulation without drugs. Here are natural remedies you can try at home.
- Walk more – Walking as few as five minutes a day can significantly improve circulation in your feet. Walking just a little bit more than you already do can have multiple health benefits, including increased circulation throughout your entire body.
- Exercise – Calf lifts, lunges, squats, and any other exercises that target the legs can do wonders for foot circulation. If you have mobility issues, then many seated and lying-down leg exercises are also available. Here are 19 you can do in bed!
- Elevate legs – Whether you’re seated or lying down, elevating your legs will help blood return from your feet to your heart more easily. In addition to increasing blood flow, leg elevation’s benefits include reduced swelling, pressure, and risk of blood clots.
- Wear compression stockings – True to their name, compression socks apply constant pressure to veins and tissues in the legs and feet. They facilitate circulation wherever they touch, and may prevent blood clots, reduce pain, and minimize swelling as well.
- Quit smoking – Smoking can cause arteriosclerosis, a condition which causes blood vessels to lose elasticity and become constricted. This may not come as shocking advice from a podiatry clinic, but if you smoke – don’t.
- Eat a healthier diet – Foods that are high in fat and sugar both harm circulatory health. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains is one of the best things you can do for your body – feet included.
- Take supplements – Iron, vitamin E, and vitamin B are all known to improve blood circulation. If you don’t already get enough of these nutrients from your diet, then you may take them as over-the-counter supplements. Although their purported benefits aren’t medically verified, several herbal supplements are popular as treatments for poor circulation. These include bacopa, black pepper, butcher’s broom, cayenne, chickweed, ginger, gotu kola, hawthorn, maidenhair, thyme, and turmeric (consult your primary care physician before taking herbal remedies).
If natural remedies aren’t enough to restore adequate circulation to your feet, then you may choose to seek care from a podiatrist. If you live in the Twin Cities, then we invite you to contact Twin Cities Foot & Ankle Clinic today to schedule a consultation at our Golden Valley, MN clinic. We treat a wide range of conditions, including the swelling, discoloration and cramping commonly caused by poor foot circulation!