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Acupuncture Treatment For Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are those that have become enlarged in size and most of the times have become twisted as well. Although this term refers to the veins on the leg which are more common, varicose veins can develop in any part of the body. In fact, veins have pairs of valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards. That is why, leg muscles pump the veins to return blood to the heart against the force of gravity. Therefore, when veins become varicose, the valves no longer work properly. This allows blood to flow backwards and that causes those veins to enlarge even more than before.1
RESEARCH
Acupuncture is a known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and has several thousand years of history with no known side effects. Furthermore, TCM is known to work effectively on those varicose veins specifically caused by stagnant blood. In detail, stagnant blood blocks the veins and blood vessels, the same way debris and dust could block a water pipe. What acupuncture does then, is to re-distribute abnormal blood and energy flow while improving poor circulating. When acupuncture needles are inserted, the stagnant blood is forced to move in the varicose veins and all surrounding blood vessels. At the same time, the points for coordinating the organs are selected to enhance the energy and blood flow to suport more blood to the area. The recommended acupuncture treatment takes limb varicose veins of the oppression of the meridian, further the implementation of acupuncture treatment generally includes more oppression on the spleen and kidney related areas, stimulating the following acupuncture points every 10-15 days : KD-3, SP-6, SP-10, KD-9, KD-10, BL-57.2
On the other hand, the recommended acupressure points for varicose veins include SI-4, BL-57 and SP-6. It is very important to drink plenty of warm water after the acupressure massage, to help clear away toxic substances in our body. Other treatment include using acupuncture with electrical stimulation along the vein to help restore valve function. However, you can always use acupressure to help yourself. After you find the acupoint ST-36, located four finger-widths below the kneecap on the right leg then apply moderate pressure with your thumb and hold for 5 minutes. Repeat on the left leg. Then, find the acupoint SP-6 located four finger-widths above the inner anklebone and apply steady pressure with your thumb and hold for 3 minutes. Repeat on the left leg as well.3
Footnotes
- Varicose veins – webcitation.org – 2010, https://www.webcitation.org/5r1PRrJul
- Acupuncture treatment of varicose veins – adelaideacupuncture.com.au – 2016, http://www.adelaideacupuncture.com.au/blog/varicose-veins/
- Acupressure massage for varicose veins – herbalshop.com – 2017, https://www.herbalshop.com/natural-healing/acupressure-massage-for-varicose-veins/