Our Experienced Austin Podiatrists Discuss How to Increase Circulation in Your Feet
Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body and helps to remove toxins. When your circulation isn’t working efficiently, it blocks or slows the blood flow, and the cells can’t get the oxygen and nutrients they need. This can lead to numbness, pain, swelling, difficulty healing from injuries, heart attacks, strokes, and a variety of other serious healt
Because your feet are so far from your heart, they are particularly susceptible to problems resulting from poor circulation. If your feet don’t get adequate blood flow, it’s easier to develop medical problems, including foot ulcers. If a foot ulcer becomes infected and is left untreated, it can cause serious complications and may require that a toe or foot be amputated. Our skilled podiatrists at Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists, your foot health is our primary concern. Here, we discuss ways to help keep your blood flowing to your lower extremities.
Ways to Increase Circulation
Each day, you can make choices that will improve your circulation. It may be easiest to start with one habit change at a time and add others gradually. Here are some ways to increase circulation to your feet:
Exercise
At least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise can be helpful for overall health, improved circulation, and weight management. Walking, cycling, swimming, and yoga are great ways to enhance blood flow to your lower body. There are also exercises you can do to strengthen blood flow in your feet. Toe lifts and wiggles involve lifting your toes while keeping your heels on the ground and then wiggling your toes vigorously. Ankle circles require that you sit or lie down and rotate your ankles in slow, intentional circles.
Get a Massage
While a foot rub often feels good, it also increases your circulation and helps keeps your tissues and muscles healthy.
Avoid Prolonged Sitting or Standing
Blood tends to pool in the lower body when a person sits or stands for too long. Get up and move around for at least a few minutes every hour to keep your blood moving. If you have a job that requires you to spend most of the day on your feet, take periodic breaks to sit. Also, avoid crossing your legs or kneeling, as this can restrict blood flow.
Avoid Nicotine
Nicotine use, including cigarettes, vapes, and smokeless tobacco, constricts your blood vessels, making circulation issues worse. Using nicotine can also thicken your blood so that it cannot easily circulate.
Elevate Your Feet
When you are immobile, prop up your feet so they are above your hips and, preferably, above your heart. This will create an incline and let gravity assist with blood flow. Be sure you aren’t just propping up your thighs but also your calves and feet. Try to keep your feet elevated for at least 15-20 minutes. This technique may not be recommended if you have congestive heart failure or peripheral artery disease.
Wear Compression Socks
The blood won’t pool in your lower limbs as easily if you use compression socks to gently squeeze your legs. Our doctors can advise you on how much pressure and what length of socks you should wear.
Eat Healthy
When you eat a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains and limit your intake of foods that have a lot of saturated fats, salt, and sugar, it has a positive impact on your veins and arteries, making them better able to carry blood throughout your body. This will also help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Having high blood pressure can negatively impact circulation because it weakens the walls of the blood vessels and makes it harder for blood to move through them.
Hydrate
Blood is about half water. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day helps your body to maintain good circulation. When your body does not have enough water, your blood can become thicker, preventing it from moving through your body as well as it should.
Manage Underlying Medical Conditions
If you have a health problem that can increase your risk of circulatory issues, it is important to manage that condition to avoid issues with blood flow. This may include taking prescribed medications, such as the following:
- Statins – to prevent plaque build-up in arteries
- Antiplatelet medications and blood thinners - to avoid blood clots
- Vasodilators – to help with walking-related pain
- Blood pressure medications
- Insulin or other blood sugar regulation drugs
Conditions That Affect Blood Circulation to the Feet
If you have any of the following medical issues, you are at increased risk for issues with your circulation:
- Diabetes
- Being older than 40
- Obesity
- Heart conditions
- Arterial issues, such as Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
- Blood clots
- Raynaud’s disease
- Infections
- Genetic conditions
Signs of Poor Circulation
If you have poor circulation, you might notice the following in your fingers, hands, feet, and toes:
- Pain in your muscles when you walk
- Muscle weakness in your legs
- Numbness
- A tingling feeling like pins and needles, similar to when a limb “falls asleep”
- A cold feeling
- Pale or bluish tinge
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Veins that bulge
Austin Foot and Ankle Specialists Can Help With Circulation Issues
If you find that lifestyle changes aren’t enough to improve poor circulation, you should seek medical attention right away. After our doctors provide a diagnosis, we can develop a personalized care plan for you, tailored to your lifestyle and health care needs. This might include the following:
- Recommendations for stretches and exercises to improve your circulation without aggravating your foot and ankle issues
- Advice about compression socks, specialized footwear, and orthotics that could help maintain your foot health
- Education for performing thorough foot inspections at home if diabetes is an underlying cause of your circulation issues
- Amniotic fluids and grafts to heal foot ulcers that don’t heal on their own due to poor circulation
- DermaClose to help stubborn wounds close by applying continuous pressure
When to Seek Emergency Care
Poor circulation can lead to life-threatening medical situations. If you experience any of the following, you should seek emergency medical attention: