The veins of the body are like the arteries, however, the veins have little valves on their inner walls to prevent the blood from flowing backward, toward the arteries.
If the valves are impaired, then blood circulation is impaired and blood accumulates in the veins, stretching them. The result is varicose veins.
Causes and Risk Factors
Varicose veins are undoubtedly caused by diet and lifestyle.
It’s common in people who are sedentary (people who spend much time seated and who engage in little to no exercise). Lack of exercise causes the circulation to become impaired, especially when you consider a person’s diet.
Diets rich in meat, dairy products, and refined grains and starches can produce arterial plaque and mucoidal debris, which impair the circulation and leads to a wide variety of circulatory diseases and disorders.
Varicose veins can also result from being obese, from excessive or repetitive heavy lifting of things, constipation, phlebitis (inflammation of the veins), and can sometimes develop as the result of pregnancy. They are also common among people who sit with their legs crossed.
Symptoms
Varicose veins are:
- dark greenish or somewhat bluish in color
- bulging or enlarged,
- lumpy in nature
- create an achy or heavy feeling in the area where the varicose veins appear
- swelling in the lower legs
- itching around a vein
- skin ulcers, which may need immediate medical attention
Natural Healing Solutions
Varicose veins can be healed, just like everything else, especially if you believe and have faith in natural healing.
Herbs
Herbs are great for the healing of all disease. Herbs themselves do not do the healing. They only assist the body in healing itself. Good herbs that help heal varicose veins include herbs that improve circulation, such as:
- Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum)
- Cinnamon
- Ginger and
- Butcher’s Broom
Herbs that are deobstruant in nature are:
- Manjistha
- Bayberry, and
- Goldenseal
Herbs that are astringent in nature are:
- Witch Hazel Bark and
- White Oak Bark
Other helpful herbs for the healing of varicose veins include:
- Horse Chestnut (by far the best herb available for the healing of varicose veins)
- Wood Betony
- Gotu Kola
- Horsetail
- Yunnan Toucha
- Gingko Biloba, and
- Prickly Ash Bark
Essential Oils
Good essential oils that have therapeutic value for varicose veins include:
- Cajeput and
- Yarrow
First apply carrier oil (i.e. olive, coconut, sweet almond, grape seed, jojoba, or avocado) and then add a few drops of essential oil to your hands and massage into the legs and then stroke the veins upward and downward which helps to move the flow of blood in the arteries and veins. This technique can be done for about 5-10 minutes, daily or 3-5 times per week.
Exercise
Movement gets the blood circulating and you need good circulation. Whether you work out at the gym, walk, jog, swim, or perform stretching/yoga, pilates, tai chi, or qi chong, simply MOVE YOUR BODY!
Antigravity exercise is greatly beneficial for healing varicose veins as well as poor blood circulation as this exercise (done for at least 15 minutes per day) causes gravity to work on your behalf by pulling all liquids downward to your head as well as pulling prolapsed organs (i.e. uterus) back into place. With antigravity exercise, your feet are higher than your head allowing circulation to travel downward. You can use a slant board or simply prop your legs up on a sofa or couch or a wall.
Dietary Intervention
Change your diet to a raw foods/vegan diet. The more raw foods in the diet, the better! You would be wise to give up meat, dairy products, refined grains and starches, and commercially processed so-called foods. Try mock vegan or meatless substitutes, dairy-free substitutes, whole grains, etc.
Drink plenty of good drinking water (distilled or alkaline, alkaline water is best). Drink plenty of vegetable juice daily (fruit juice, too).
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
