Yoga for Varicose Veins | Varicose Veins Treatments

What Causes Varicose Veins?

The blood circulation network in the body is extremely complex. The veins and the arteries have a difficult task of ferrying blood to and fro for the entire duration of our lives. This function may take a toll on the blood vessels, especially those that are situated in the lower extremities of the body.

The veins of the lower limbs have to work extra hard in order to send the blood to the heart. This process is facilitated by valves in the blood vessels which prevent the blood from flowing in the wrong direction. This is difficult because the blood and the veins are also subjected to the forces of gravity. This continuous gravitational pull can cause the blood to get clotted in the veins. When the blood gets clogged in this manner, the valves get damaged and the blood vessels get misshapen.

The veins may puff up because of the change in the volume of blood flow. These puffed up veins start showing through the skin and this condition is termed as varicose veins.

Once the veins become this misshapen, it is not possible to reverse this change. In a severe case, where the varicose veins cause a lot of pain and discomfort, there may be a need to perform a surgery to remove the veins. Some other effective varicose veins treatments are also available.

Yoga for Varicose Veins

In cases of varicose veins that are not too severe, yoga for varicose vein can help improve the condition, proving to be one of the best varicose veins remedies. Some of the inverted poses can benefit you significantly. These inverted poses cause the inversion of the circulation of blood, causing a temporary relief in the pressure on the veins. A shoulder stand, also known as Sarvangasana has been found to be one of the most beneficial treatments for varicose veins. In this pose, the blood drains from the legs to reach to the heart, with relative ease.

This pose is easy to perform and doesn’t require elaborate practice or experience of yoga. In this pose, the legs are raised perpendicular to the ground, keeping the torso and the shoulders resting flat on the surface. When you raise your legs up like this, the pressure on the blood vessels eases. It is recommended that the shoulder stand be done at least once every day. Once you are in the pose, hold the pose for at least three to five minutes.

Once you come out of the pose and stand up, you will experience much relief from the pain caused by varicose veins. Though this pose will not remove the veins, it brings in relief from the symptoms. Some other asanas that you can perform are Sirshasana or Head Stand, Tadasana or Mountain Pose, Gomukhasana or Cow Face Pose, Pawanmuktasana or the Easy Gas Release Pose, and Viparita Karani or the Legs up the Wall Pose.