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Looking after your legs 

Dr Sarah Jarvis looks at the importance of looking after your legs to help avoid pain, discomfort and long-term problems

A third of women across Europe suffer from tired, achy or swollen legs, so it’s not surprising that it’s a common complaint in my surgery. What is surprising is that most of my patients are unaware that they can prevent their pain and discomfort with just a few changes in behaviour. Moreover there are some treatment options that can effectively reduce or even prevent the recurrence of these leg issues.

Women consider their legs to be an attractive part of their bodies and most spend time and effort to ensure that their legs look as good as possible. I like to tell my patients that if they keep their legs healthy on the inside, they will look far better on the outside. Women often correctly blame their leg pain on “bad circulation” so they need to take action to improve their circulation.

Since blood in your legs has to move against gravity to reach your heart, good circulation needs a boost from the so-called venous pump. When your calf muscles contract, blood is squeezed through your veins, one-way valves in your veins open to let the blood flow towards the heart, and then close to stop it from slipping back. If you stand for a long time, if you’re physically inactive or if you tend to sit with your legs crossed, the venous pump stops working properly. As a result blood pools in your leg veins, and more fluid moves into the tissues in your legs causing puffiness or swelling (oedema) and discomfort.

Survey highlights low awareness

A recent international survey¹ shows that nearly a quarter of women have leg pain. Surprisingly, 16% did not consult anyone about their pain and another 14% spoke to friends and family for advice rather than their doctor.

Although a quarter of women felt that the condition of their legs impacted on their daily life and a third reported that they took their leg problem seriously, many failed to use beneficial treatments. For example, more than a quarter of women were correctly using exercise to help improve their leg health, but few women appeared to be aware of the benefits of compression stockings or oral supplements and topical remedies.

Less than 1% of women surveyed had used the internet to research their leg health despite the fact that half had internet access. This is particularly surprising because my patients often tell me they surf the internet for health tips. Lack of easily available and credible information is likely a big part of the reason for the low awareness of leg health problems.

Top tips on leg health from Dr Jarvis

There are a number of simple steps that I advise all of my patients to take to ensure their legs stay fit and healthy.

1. Maintain a healthy diet

Eat plenty of vitamin-rich foods that are low in saturated fats and high in fibre. This basic tip will help not only your legs but your overall health too.

2. Exercise regularly

Exercise will help you develop toned legs and improve your overall health. You don’t have to run a marathon – you will see benefit even if you just commit to a brisk daily walk.

3. Don’t stay still for too long

If you have to sit still for a long time due to work or travel, try stretching your legs regularly and take a brief walk every so often to keep the circulation going.

4. Stop smoking

We all know the effects of smoking on our lungs and heart, but smoking also damages your veins. Smokers are more likely to develop leg problems as a result and will likely have more severe leg symptoms than non-smokers.

5. Avoid tight clothing and high heels

Tight clothing and high heels may be fashionable, but they can restrict blood flow in your legs causing them to feel tired and achy. Wear clothing that gives you freedom of movement. Try wearing flat shoes when walking or commuting and change into high heels only when you have to.

If you suspect you may have leg health issues, you should take positive steps by giving your legs the exercise they need and by eating a diet that promotes good vein health.

Make an appointment to see your doctor or talk to your pharmacist to find the best treatment for you. Remember, early prevention and treatment will not only improve your tired, achy and swollen symptoms, but can also keep your legs toned and healthy so that you’ll be happy to show them off.

¹** Antistax Segmentation Study conducted by Ipsos GmbH in January 2007 – Germany, France, Great Britain, Mexico with 1000 women per country.