Sunday 26 April 2009

THE ALTERNATIVE TO......VARICOSE VEINS


Do you suffer from:

- Tired, heavy, aching feet?
- Leg cramps?
- Swollen ankles?

Did you know that many of these unpleasant symptoms are due to stagnant circulation, and tend to happen when you are stuck in a sedentary job, or you’re forced to stand for long periods of time. It is worse if you are pregnant, overweight, or have genetically weak veins. It also has a nasty habit of getting worse as you get older – and if you are constipated!

The veins should be able to propel blood back up the body with the help of the pumping action of your calf muscles, but when this doesn’t happen, the blood in the leg veins increases and the veins eventually start to bulge. Blood stagnates in the legs, and you start to feel achy and swollen. Eventually the veins will become permanently distended and varicose.

Varicose veins are not exactly attractive to the eye, and their lack of aesthetics is rivaled by the discomfort they cause. If not treated, they inevitably get worse.

Conventional treatments tend to start with support stockings – not very glamorous and certainly not comfortable, especially in summer – and work their way up to surgery to either remove or collapse the veins. However, surgery is not a long term solution, as the increased pressure on the remaining veins can eventually cause them to become varicose as well.

At Elixir we have had excellent results with a herbal remedy called
Venaforce Horse Chestnut tablets – a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the relief of symptoms associated with varicose veins, such as tired, heavy legs, pain, cramps and swelling. So long as you are not pregnant, breast-feeding or allergic to peanuts or soya it is a good alternative to try if you are considering taking more drastic action to get your legs on the move again.

If you would like further help and advice, pop in and see us at Elixir Health Foods! and hopefully we’ll get your legs back into shorts again!

By Randi Henderson

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