Meandering Landscape with River by Piet Mondrian
Q: I have two circulation problems. The first is varicose veins. I also have circulation problems in my around my uterus and ovaries—it’s called pelvic congestion disorder, I believe. Are there some poses that can help with these conditions?A: Earlier this week I interviewed Shelly Prosko about Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, so for this reader (and others) who are concerned about and/or interested in that condition, I recommend you read that post Pelvic Congestion Syndrome. In today’s post, I’m going to start with discussing varicose veins in the legs, which is a common problem associated with aging. I’ll then address how these two circulation problems might be related.
In general, to address varicose veins, I recommend doing dynamic poses, such as videos of the mini vinyasas we’ve been sharing on Mondays for the past year or so, especially those that involve moving the legs because the pumping action helps return venous fluids back to the heart. And, of course, any full, partial, or gentle inverted pose where your legs are above the level of the heart (think Legs Up the Wall, Easy Inverted pose, and Reclined Leg Stretch) helps return venous fluids back toward your heart through gravity. In static poses, you can enhance the pumping action by rhythmically contracting and relaxing as many muscle groups as possible while you’re in the pose.
For more information, we have address the problem of varicose veins directly and indirectly in these past posts:
Friday Q&A: Varicose Veins
Friday Q&A: Blue Feet
Techniques for Improving Cardiovascular System and Heart Health
When I interviewed Shelly about pelvic congestion syndrome, I asked if she had anything to add to my recommendations about varicose veins in the legs. Here’s what she had to say:
“The excellent suggestions made in your post Friday Q&A: Varicose Veins for varicose veins pretty much covered everything I would say! And much of what I mentioned for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome in the post LINK could apply to lower extremity varicose veins (in the legs). I’d also emphasize that research has shown that breathing exercises alone can improve vascular circulation in the extremities. So, we must not forget the value that pranayama might have on addressing varicose veins. I’d also recommend seeking further help from a health professional for manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, or if needed, minimally invasive or non-invasive procedures if the varicose veins are affecting your quality of life.
Lastly, you can learn some self-manual lymphatic massage techniques from your health provider. The added benefits of your own healing and nurturing touch on your skin is shown to be valuable, too!"
I also asked her if there is any connection between the presence of varicose veins in the legs and pelvic congestion. She said:
“I haven’t seen any solid research that shows the correlation; however, it would make sense that if a person has varicose veins in the legs (or an increased risk for varicose veins), that there might be an increased chance of varicose veins in the pelvic region as well, or vice versa.”
Fortunately, many of the yoga poses and practices you do for one condition is helpful for the other because both are circulatory system problems related to the veins. For example, practicing supported inversions with foot movements and the breathing practices as Shelly recommended in Pelvic Congestion Syndrome are also beneficial for varicose veins in the legs. So you can address both conditions in the same practice and with the same poses and practices.
—Baxter (with a little help from Nina)
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