Is a Circulation Booster Effective?
If you are experiencing symptoms of poor circulation, you may be curious about how circulation boosters work and if they are effective. Poor circulation can cause a host of uncomfortable symptoms in the legs and feet, such as pain, achiness, swelling, heaviness, tingling, or numbness.
It’s essential to improve the circulation to avoid complications beyond the discomfort. Poor circulation that goes untreated can lead to spider veins and varicose veins so it’s important to take measures to address any issues with sluggish circulation.
Using a circulation booster can help relieve pain and stiffness as well as feelings of heaviness, achiness, or tingling in the calves and feet by promoting improved blood circulation in the legs.
What are Circulation Boosters?
If you’ve never seen or heard of a circulation booster, you’re probably wondering what they are. There are several different types of circulation boosters. Let’s take a look at some of the most common options.
Circulation Machine Platform
These are circular devices about the size of a frisbee with two foot pads. You put the device on the floor in front of a couch or chair where you’re sitting, then place your feet on the pads. Circulation machine platforms use electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to stimulate the nerve endings found on the soles of feet.
When using one of these circulation boosters, you can expect the muscles of your foot and calf to alternate between tightening and relaxing. This pumping action helps to encourage circulation in the legs and feet, promoting blood flow back up to the heart.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
If you’ve ever had physical therapy, you may be familiar with TENS units. Sticky nodes are placed onto the affected area and once the machine is turned on, the muscles start to contract and relax. This method can also work for encouraging blood circulation. In this case, the pads could be placed on the bottoms of the feet, the ankles, and the calves to stimulate the muscles in those areas. Typically, a person would use a TENS unit daily for thirty-minute sessions to promote circulation and relieve discomfort.
Compression Pump Circulation Machine
Unlike the above two circulation boosters, this method is not for home treatment. The compression pump circulation machine is rather large with two sleeves that are placed over the legs. Like a blood pressure machine, these sleeves alternately tighten up and relax to enhance circulation in the legs and feet.
Do Circulation Boosters Really Work?
Circulation boosters can promote better blood flow in the legs and feet. Studies have been conducted to test the effectiveness of these devices for improved blood circulation.
Circulation Machine Platform Study
One study followed twenty-two patients over a six week period where participants with vein disease were randomly given either a circulation machine platform or a sham device. They were instructed to conduct 30-minute sessions of electrical muscle stimulation daily for the six-week study. At the end of the study, it was found that the participants who were assigned the legitimate EMS devices showed improved blood flow and significantly less swelling in their lower limbs than the group with the sham devices.
TENS Unit Study
A study found that using a TENS unit at a low frequency helped to increase blood flow in healthy participants, however, this same effect was not found when used at a high frequency.
Another study with participants who suffered from chronic leg ulcers involved using a TENS unit at low frequency for 60 minutes. There were blood flow checks every 5 minutes and by the end of the hour, there was a mean blood flow increase of 35% in the ulcer and an increase of 15% in the intact skin around the ulcer.
Compression Pump Circulation Machine Study
Studies on the use of compression pump circulation machines have found the device to be effective for promoting blood circulation. This machine is found to be particularly helpful for individuals who are suffering from vein disease but are unable to benefit from other treatments such as compression socks and increased activity due to immobility from being wheelchair-bound. This treatment can help mimic the blood pumping effect of physical activity regardless of the patient’s mobility issues.
Are Circulation Boosters All You Need for Better Circulation?
Circulation boosters are a helpful component of a healthy vein regimen, but they are not adequate on their own for good blood flow. Diet and lifestyle changes are the most significant ways to boost your circulation and prevent or manage vein disease. Consider a circulation booster as a supplement to your healthy lifestyle, but not as a replacement for healthy choices in foods and activities.
What Else Can You Do to Help Improve Circulation?
While circulation boosters can be affected at helping improve your blood circulation, combining this therapy with other diet and lifestyle changes can help maximize healthy blood flow.
Get Regular Exercise
Moving your body helps to move your blood so be sure to take part in exercise most days of the week. It’s better to stick with low impact exercises that won’t create more pressure in the vein walls. A 20 to 30 minute walk four to five days a week can work wonders for improving circulation.
Take a Short Movement Break Every Hour That You’re Sitting
Working at a desk or vegging out on the couch binging on Netflix is not great for your circulation. Make it a point to get up and move for 5 to 10 minutes every hour. You could take a quick walk, hop on a mini-trampoline, or do a brief session of yoga or stretching.
Practice Circulation-Boosting Exercises When You’re Sitting for Long Periods
When you absolutely must sit for a long stretch, you can help get the blood flowing in your legs and feet by pointing and flexing your toes, then rotating your ankles clockwise and counterclockwise.
A combination of these natural therapies can help to prevent future vein issues like spider veins and varicose veins. For those who have already developed vein disease, following practices to boost circulation can help to reduce the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins as well as relieve the symptoms.
Summary
Now you know what circulation boosters are and how they work. Using a circulation booster along with lifestyle and dietary changes can help to prevent or reduce the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins. Awareness of what makes you more susceptible to vein disease can help you make the changes you need to promote the health of your veins.
As much as home treatments can help make spider veins and varicose veins less visible, they are not likely to eliminate the veins.
While a healthy diet and lifestyle are extremely helpful for decreasing the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins, it’s important to seek out professional care if the problem persists.
If you’re experiencing symptoms from vein disease that don’t respond to diet and lifestyle changes, contact us today to book an appointment.
