Venous Stasis is the pooling of blood in the legs causing the legs to retain low oxygenated blood, leading to pain and in some cases an injury and/or ulcers, with a slower recovery or healing time. This is usually due to leaking valves that no longer effectively return blood flow back the heart. Venous Edema is not the same as venous insufficiency (CVI). This is the reason many practitioners, including myself, say to patients “elevate your legs”. Come let us explore what it means to “elevate your legs”!
Many practitioners, including myself, say to patients “elevate your legs”. But what does that mean? How long at any one time, should I elevate my legs? Should my knee(s) be bent during this timeframe and why? You may also be wondering, do I really need to do this for the rest of my life? Further you may be asking how will I know that my elevation efforts are being effective? What about elastic support or compression hose that seem to sit in my sock drawer because they seem so difficult to get on/off.
Although as a podiatrist I do not directly treat chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), I do have helpful hints to control the manifestation, or I can refer you to a specialist in this field who can help improve your clinical picture.
