LOVE YOURLEGS
Everything to keep your pins in tip-top health
When was the last time you stopped and considered all that your legs and feet do, carrying you places all day every day? We spoke to phlebologist Dr Peter Paraskevas from Vein Health Medical Clinic in Sydney about how and why you should be protecting your pins.
WHY HEALTHY LEGS ARE IMPORTANT
Dr Paraskevas says the health of our legs and feet is extremely important as they’re crucial for blood circulation to the heart.
“When we walk and exercise, blood is pushed up normal veins towards the heart, via the calf-thigh muscle pump, helping return blood to the heart and lungs and assisting in the body’s circulatory function,” he explains.
Because of this, staying active and mobile is crucial to our health, especially as we begin to age.
“Mobility is extremely important as we get older and anything that affects our ability to stay mobile and functioning will have a significant detrimental effect on our overall health,” he says.
COMMON CONDITIONS
There are some common conditions Dr Paraskevas sees in his patients. The first is varicose veins, with the symptoms often showing as “heaviness and tiredness in the legs, leg cramps, swelling and sometimes pain in the legs”.
He adds that osteoarthritis is another common condition. This feels like “knee, hip or ankle pain that gets worse with movement, plus swelling in the joints and reduced mobility”.
PREVENTION
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to the health of your legs and feet. “People will often deal with the signs and symptoms of varicose veins or arthritis believing [they] will improve or get better or, in some cases, feeling there isn’t much they can do to fix their issues,” says Dr Paraskevas.
“This results in them presenting with complications that require attention in addition to the underlying issue they began with.”
He advises that it’s important to have the condition thoroughly assessed and treated, but to also stay mobile to hopefully prevent conditions developing. Attending regular screening checks can also help.
HOW TO SHOW YOUR LEGS SOME LOVE
1 Engage in regular exercise and movement (walking, swimming, bike riding).
2 Try joint stretching and mobility exercises such as yoga and Pilates to keep joints and muscles mobile.
3 Have regular skin cancer checks.
4 Avoid prolonged sitting and standing as they both have a negative effect on normal blood flow up the leg and towards the heart.
5 Try wearing light compression or sports stockings for heavy exercise or long periods of standing to help support circulation.
6 Don’t forget your feet! Foot care is extremely important as it’s a critical component of the calf muscle pump, so things that will affect this are flat feet, bunions, poor footwear and other structural issues.