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Physiology & Medicine / Re: Could Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT) replace surgery for varicose veins and oedema?
« on: 13/07/2010 23:50:04 »
Hello. I am a 42 year old male with what I believe are VVs. I am very interested in this topic. I have had swelling on the insides of my ankles which resembles varicose veins following an acupuncture visit (though I can't be sure it was the acupuncture itself which caused it or what) for the last 10 years. The total area affected on each side is not much larger than 4 cm in length/diameter. In the last 4-5 years, the swelling and pain have gotten worse and have cost me lots of work. I can no longer sit at the office or carry on meetings normally. I can't deal with the explosive pressure when I hang my feet down for long. While extremely painful at times, they look like not much compared to some of the photos here. Lots of exercise SEEMS to improve it. Two weeks of rest just destroys me. It takes a ton of work to get my feet going again after that.
Other facts:
1) wearing tight socks which go above the ankles kills me. For a long time I could wear ONLY sandles (and loose ones). Now I wear socks which go just beneath the ankles, and this has allowed me to live a life in a winter climate again.
2) My nerve conduction velocities are all almost normal.
3) When tested in a sitting position at the doctor's office with special equipment, it seems clear that my feet are not returning blood as they are supposed to. They were clearly deficient, with my right leg being worse than my left leg.
4) Wearing the prescribed pressure stockings proved to be a disaster within 3-4 hours...I think they just cut off the circulation and I had pain for days.
5) I currently sleep flat and when working on my computer at home (which is about 8 hours a day), I usually have my feet elevated to the height of my buttocks -- but not higher. It is a hard, boring chair. How badly is circulation compromised just by sitting in a hard chair? I think quite a bit?
6) I exercise about a minimum of 90 minutes per day and a maximum of about 120 minutes per day. Gym/Running/Elliptical trainer.
7) I believe I have something which could be described as RSD, but feel that since MOST of the pain comes ONLY when hanging my feet down and swelling occurs--that the biggest problem are now the VVs. Without this pain with my feet in the dependent position, I could live a normal life I think.
Much of the character of the skin around my VVs and back sides of my ankles has changed. It is not "robust" -- but thinner and does not appear to have the same sheen as healthy, normal skin. However, the fatpads are growing back (I believe because of the massive rehab program I do, which gives my feet blood whether they want it or not!!!!).
I have a few questions after reading about IBT for the last three hours and watching the YouTube videos...
1) Does exercise help VVs or does it make them worse? I have started running 6-7 km every other day now. I feel better afterwards and am glad I am doing it.
2) I am considering some of the "non-stripping" methods of killing these VVs and then using IBT to help keep them away. However, after reading all of this, I may be willing to try this for a year first. However, now is a critical time in my love life and I would like to resolve this ASAP.
3) Isn't sitting supposed to be good for my VVs then? (as long as my feet are down???). And what about standing? I am confused. Is this obviously a matter of balancing competing effects for optimal results?
4) Getting blocks for my bed tomorrow. As I understand it, I need to be OVER five degrees!?!? So, if I estimate incorrectly and hit 10 degrees, it won't be a problem right? But will actually help? Why not sleep standing then? I am confused.
5) After reading some of your other websites and posts, I see that the evaporation and loss of water through respiration/perspiration is the continual driving force of the circulation? As a chemical engineer then, it seems it would make sense to sleep in a room with a fan which is forcing mass transfer from the surfaces as you would get a significantly higher rate of transfer.
Would love to share photos for advice, but it would be easier for me to email them to someone for posting perhaps.
Other facts:
1) wearing tight socks which go above the ankles kills me. For a long time I could wear ONLY sandles (and loose ones). Now I wear socks which go just beneath the ankles, and this has allowed me to live a life in a winter climate again.
2) My nerve conduction velocities are all almost normal.
3) When tested in a sitting position at the doctor's office with special equipment, it seems clear that my feet are not returning blood as they are supposed to. They were clearly deficient, with my right leg being worse than my left leg.
4) Wearing the prescribed pressure stockings proved to be a disaster within 3-4 hours...I think they just cut off the circulation and I had pain for days.
5) I currently sleep flat and when working on my computer at home (which is about 8 hours a day), I usually have my feet elevated to the height of my buttocks -- but not higher. It is a hard, boring chair. How badly is circulation compromised just by sitting in a hard chair? I think quite a bit?
6) I exercise about a minimum of 90 minutes per day and a maximum of about 120 minutes per day. Gym/Running/Elliptical trainer.
7) I believe I have something which could be described as RSD, but feel that since MOST of the pain comes ONLY when hanging my feet down and swelling occurs--that the biggest problem are now the VVs. Without this pain with my feet in the dependent position, I could live a normal life I think.
Much of the character of the skin around my VVs and back sides of my ankles has changed. It is not "robust" -- but thinner and does not appear to have the same sheen as healthy, normal skin. However, the fatpads are growing back (I believe because of the massive rehab program I do, which gives my feet blood whether they want it or not!!!!).
I have a few questions after reading about IBT for the last three hours and watching the YouTube videos...
1) Does exercise help VVs or does it make them worse? I have started running 6-7 km every other day now. I feel better afterwards and am glad I am doing it.
2) I am considering some of the "non-stripping" methods of killing these VVs and then using IBT to help keep them away. However, after reading all of this, I may be willing to try this for a year first. However, now is a critical time in my love life and I would like to resolve this ASAP.
3) Isn't sitting supposed to be good for my VVs then? (as long as my feet are down???). And what about standing? I am confused. Is this obviously a matter of balancing competing effects for optimal results?
4) Getting blocks for my bed tomorrow. As I understand it, I need to be OVER five degrees!?!? So, if I estimate incorrectly and hit 10 degrees, it won't be a problem right? But will actually help? Why not sleep standing then? I am confused.
5) After reading some of your other websites and posts, I see that the evaporation and loss of water through respiration/perspiration is the continual driving force of the circulation? As a chemical engineer then, it seems it would make sense to sleep in a room with a fan which is forcing mass transfer from the surfaces as you would get a significantly higher rate of transfer.
Would love to share photos for advice, but it would be easier for me to email them to someone for posting perhaps.