Varicose Veins Natural Treatment

Venous Blood Flow

The arterial blood supply is pushed around the body by the function and power of the heart.  However, the venous blood must move back up through the body without the benefit of the heart muscle.  When we are in an upright position the blood works against gravity to return to the heart.  Leg muscles will squeeze the deep veins of the legs and feet and one-way valves keep the blood from flowing back down in the wrong direction.  So, when the leg muscles contract, the valves inside the veins open.  When the legs relax the valves close, which prevents the blood going in reverse.  This process is called the venous pump.

When we walk, the leg muscles squeeze the blood through the venous system which works very well.  However, when we sit or stand for long periods of time the blood can pool and increase the amount of pressure on the valves in the veins.  There are actually three different kinds of veins in the legs.  The first are superficial and lie closest to the top of the skin.  There are deep set veins which lie within the groups of muscles and there are perforating veins, which connect the superficial veins to the deep veins.  The deepest vein leads to the vena cava, which is the body’s largest vein and runs directly back to the heart.