Acupuncture for varicose veins - natural cures and remedies


Up to 30% of people can be affected by varicose veins which is where the veins  have become large, swollen and twisted. The most common place for them to appear is on the calves and behind the knees and are due to damaged or weakened valves. There is often a familial pattern and though varicose veins don’t always cause severe pain, people dislike their appearance and some seek surgery to rectify the problem. Many people just simply put up with the cramps and heavy leg sensation.
Actually there are a number of different ways to prevent and treat varicose veins, ranging from expensive surgeries to using natural essential oils. Before turning to irritating prescription creams or expensive laser surgeries — which aren’t always effective and should really be considered last-resort options — it’s a good idea to try Acupuncture for varicose veins and other natural cures and  remedies first to lower the visibility of bulging veins without much risk involved.

Natural Varicose Veins Treatment

Treatment options for varicose veins range from  medications, compression stockings, lifestyle changes to minimally invasive (e.g.,sclerotherapy or endoluminal ablation), to invasive (surgical techniques), to hybrid (combination of ≥1 therapies).
A 2007 report published in the Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of England found that nerve injuries following varicose vein surgeries are common and that more than half the patients treated will develop some recurrent varicose sites within 10 years of surgery.
Varicose veins are always a symptom of an underlying venous insufficiency disorder. This is true whether or not you experiences other symptoms like pain and swelling. If you visit a dermatologist or doctor to talk about treatment options, you’ll likely be advised to make certain lifestyle modifications first, before surgery or other treatments are even considered. These can greatly help decrease blood pooling in your veins, while also offering many other perks, like more energy, clearer skin, better heart health and improved digestion. And the best part is that natural remedies pose little to no risk and are far less expensive than surgeries too.
Here are some natural treatments for varicose veins:
1. Exercise
Regularly getting exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve blood flow and lower inflammation, which you can add to the extensive list of exercise benefits
2. Maintaining a Healthy Weight
People who are overweight are more likely to develop varicose veins, especially overweight women and elderly people. Carrying excess body weight puts higher amounts of pressure on your veins and can contribute to inflammation or reflux, especially in the largest superficial veins, such as the saphenous vein in the legs.
3. Somaderm Gel  for Balancing Hormones:
     This homeopathic medicine(NDC# 61877-0007-1) has been demonstrated to increase human growth hormone naturally, one of the health benefit is balancing our hormones. Learn more.
4. An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Certain foods help reverse inflammation and improve blood flow, making it possible to heal varicose veins faster and prevent future ones from forming. A poor diet — high in things like trans fats, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods — can contribute to arterial damage, low circulation, blood pressure problems, hormonal imbalances and weight gain. Many of these foods are also high-sodium foods, which is dehydrating, and contain toxins that can worsen swelling in varicose veins.
Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods for reducing the appearance of varicose veins include:
  • High-fiber foods — Fiber helps improve heart health and is also necessary for healthy digestive functions. Eating 30–40 grams of fiber every day is a great way to prevent constipation, which can cause bloating and increased pressure on the veins around the abdomen and legs. High-fiber foods to eat include chia seeds and flaxseeds, (which are also omega-3 foods, which are anti-inflammatory), vegetables, fresh fruit, and soaked/sprouted legumes and ancient grains.
  • High-antioxidant foods — Antioxidants, such as flavonoids (present in berries), vitamin C and vitamin E (both present in green veggies and citrus fruits), help strengthen veins, fight inflammation and improve arterial health. Vitamin E is known to help prevent blood clots, acts like a natural blood thinner and is tied to heart health. Vitamin C is a powerful anti-inflammatory and beneficial for skin health.
  • Natural diuretics — Doctors sometimes use diuretic pills to help increase urination and reduce water retention or swelling. You can get the same effect safely by consuming things like fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil), fennel, dandelion greens, cucumber, asparagus and celery.
  • Magnesium-rich foods — Blood pooling , blood pressure problems and leg cramps (like restless leg syndrome) are warning signs of deficiencies in electrolytes like potassium and magnesium. To overcome these symptoms, increase intake of things like leafy greens, avocado, bananas, cruciferous veggies and sweet potatoes.
  • Spicy foods — Foods with spices such as cayenne pepper or curry help heat up the body and get blood flowing, adding to healthy circulation and even appetite/weight control.
  • Wild-caught fish — Fish and seafood like wild salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and tuna provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for proper blood flow.
  • Apple cider vinegar (ACV) — ACV improves circulation in the vein walls and is an effective anti-inflammatory. Many people find that using ACV along with witch hazel on varicose veins helps lower swelling and and improves their appearance within just a few weeks.
5.  Natural Herbs Including Bilberry and Horse Chestnut
Bilberry and horse chestnut, two plants that are thousands of years old and popular folk remedies, have been found to be both effective and safe for treating varicose veins. Both have been studied for chronic venous insufficiency that causes pain, ankle swelling, feelings of heaviness, itching and nighttime leg cramping. They’re also beneficial for lowering water retention, circulatory problems, swelling, diarrhea, PMS cramps and other skin-related conditions.

6. Regular Acupuncture treatment or bloodletting therapy improve the blood circulation

The color of the veins is usually blue to dark purple and this color is very significant according to traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis.
Purple and bluish veins indicate that the body system is being affected by a traditional diagnostic concept known as “Blood Stasis”.
There is saying in Chinese medical texts dating back hundreds of years that says “Blood stasis is the cause of all problems and blood stasis complicates all conditions”.
The term blood stasis includes symptoms like varicose veins, spider veins and thick dry skin such as on the heel as well as fixed stabbing pains that could be anywhere in the body. Ancient Chinese physicians understood the concept of blood flow and the relationship of blood vessels to the heart hundreds of years before the US medical physician William Harvey wrote about blood circulation.
Many people believe that acupuncture is limited to treat nerve and pain syndromes. It then comes as a surprise to people to learn that acupuncture can help with blood circulation problems such as chest pain from heart disease, varicose veins, Raynaud’s disease and diabetes related peripheral neuropathy.
Ancient Chinese physicians even understood the connection between the lungs and heart and their relationship with oxygen exchange. A special acupuncture point on the wrist, known as tai yuan, Lung 9, was allocated the special role of being the meeting acupuncture point of all blood vessels. It can be used to treat all problems with blood vessels including varicose veins and heart pain.
Other acupuncture points on the leg such as the one called “sea of blood”, Spleen 10, is used to increase circulation of blood when it is suspected of being “stuck” as in blood stasis.
More and more people are seeking alternatives like acupuncture to treat varicose veins instead of surgery. This is because too many operations have been unsuccessful and left people dissatisfied and the word gets aroundGetting surgery on veins is like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted

7. Foot bath with Chinese herbs: Dangui(当归)、Honghua(红花)、Niuqi(牛膝)、 Cuanqiong(川芎) Ginger(姜)





Acupuncture: A great Choice for Anxiety

Every year, new studies show that anxiety among otherwise healthy men and women is on the rise. While a small amount of anxiety every once in a while is normal, persistent anxiety is a serious problem – it affects behaviors, it creates stress, and it hurts your overall quality of life.
Some of the solutions to anxiety are simple. Exercise, for example, is an important first step. More and more people are working in careers that involve little physical activity, and that inactivity creates misplaced energy that can turn into stress and anxiety.
But if basic lifestyle changes don’t work, and you find that your anxiety continues to impact your life, the solutions become more complicated. Pharmaceutical medications should generally be avoided, because in addition to their addictive properties and dangerous side effects, they also only numb the issue temporarily. Once you stop taking the medications the anxiety comes back; potentially stronger than ever. In addition, while several therapies exist, these solutions are generally prohibitively expensive for the modern family. It’s for these reasons that acupuncture is such a good option as an anxiety treatment.
          

Reasons to Consider Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an affordable, safe, non-addictive and effective way to treat anxiety. It has none of the side effects of modern medications, and has been used for centuries as a way of curing mental health issues and other health symptoms.
What makes acupuncture so effective, however, is the following:


  • Anxiety Points
First and foremost, there are several points that an acupuncturist can target that are designed to counter your anxiety. Acupuncturists place needles in the GV20, He5, and other points in order to balance your chi and help your body cope with anxiety. Each of these points has been tested by generations of practitioners for the past thousands of years, and is known to have a profound effect on the way you experience anxiety.

  • Tangential Points
Anxiety is not usually caused by any one issue, which is why when you really want to reduce anxiety you need to do more than simply place needles at anxiety reduction points. You also need to place needles in areas that may relate to stress, health, and other issues that could, in theory, contribute to further anxiety in the future.

  •  Accompanying Lifestyle Changes
Acupuncture is also not considered a standalone treatment. Those that use it combine the effective techniques with anxiety reduction herbs, a healthier diet and lifestyle, and more. Because anxiety can be caused by so many different aspects of a person’s life, and because it’s so important to approach anxiety reduction from a more holistic manner, this type of treatment is underrated as a potential option for anxiety sufferers.

Choosing Acupuncture as an Anxiety Option

Those that suffer from anxiety need to depend on natural treatments if possible, because modern medicine is simply too addictive with too many side effects to make it worthwhile. Since anxiety represents such an important factor in a person’s short and long term happiness, it’s also important that you select an option that is effective right away, and lasts long enough to help create real changes in your quality of life. Acupuncture from a reputable acupuncturist has the potential to do just that, and should be considered by those looking for natural treatment options.

Call Oriental Acupuncture Clinic at 416-800-3978 to set up your first appointment!  With our therapists more than 25 years CLINICAL EXPERIENCE, you will feel the difference.