What are Spider Veins
Spider veins indicate damage to the vessel walls, like a bruise, and capillary fragility. Vascular challenges often reflect poor circulation that results in loss of elasticity of the blood vessels. The darkness seen through the skin reflects blood stagnation. Spider veins are not usually painful.
Natural Solutions
The body has tremendous capacity to regenerate and heal any condition. We are “Fearfully and Wonderfully made!” Psalms 139:14
Vascular weakness is possible to strengthen and even reverse damage with a holistic approach in mind:
- Nutritional means incorporating foods high in bioflavinoids and antioxidants to clear out cellular damage and promote healthy at the cellular level.
- Herbal help with plants that are anti-inflammatory herbs, circulatory stimulants and excellent vulnerarys (wound healers).
- Lifestyle tweaks to help promote healing and eliminate possible causes that exacerbate the problem.
All of the following ideas are a smorgasbord of ideas to familiarize yourself with and decide what you want to try in a holistic healing approach. The ones I have starred are not optional and part of your daily healing protocol. Keep at it for a month and see how your body responds.
Nutritional
Specific for vein health: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Flavinoids, Anti-oxidants, Circulatory Stimulants
1. The best thing I know for strengthening connective tissue and building the body at a cellular level is bone and root broth. You can read about why this is so key to healing on my blog:
https://wildblessings.com/2011/09/10/stone-soup/ The collagen, glucosamine and gelatin found in healthy stocks will regenerate healthy cell growth as nothing else can. Must be bones from ‘happy’ animals and not animals raised in CAFO’s …Concentrated Animals Feed Operations 🙁
Jewish mothers touted their chicken soups to be good for far more than the soul!
2. Foods high in Vitamin K are helpful for varicosities. (herbs: Sage, Basil, Coriander, Thyme, Parsley, Oregano) (veggies: dark leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, onions, cabbage, asparagus…)
3. Bright colored veggies (bioflavinoids) anti oxidants help clear out cellular damage Flavinoids strength capillary walls and regenerate connective tissue. These are extractable in water and alcohol. Teas or soups
4. Goji berries have an affinity for building strong vessels and capillaries. 1/4 cup a day recommended. Put in tea, then eat them soggy later or put them into energy balls
5. Goji Bombs: I made up this delicious and nutritious recipe for energy balls specific for spider vein demise and vascular health:
almond butter, hazelnuts, coconut, 90% dark chocolate squares, chia seeds, flax seeds, dulse flakes, dates, and the piece de resistance…goji berries soaked in Hawthorn honey…. Vitamin C, K, anti oxidants, flavinoids, minerals and not to mention amazingly tasty. Woohoo!
6. Cleavers or Chickweed ACV in tonic and in salad dressings. These are two of the best lymph movers in the plant world. I could tell miracle stories of how they have helped me. Using them daily on salads or in a drink will help flush the toxins that are held in stasis in your lymph glands and stimulate good blow flow and removal of toxins.
7. Dandelion Root coffee, a powerful tonic for the liver and amazingly delicious. The liver is the powerhouse that cleanses and filters the blood. Keep it happy!
8. Healthy Fats, a T of organic coconut oil is excellent in a plethora of ways http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html
9. Fermented foods: kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha …. to replace healthy flora into the gut, living microbes. The microflora in the gut are essential for proper bowel function. Eat at least 1 T with each meal.
10. Stimulating spices: Cayenne, Ginger, Turmeric Eat more Mexican and Indian spicey foods! 🙂
11. Avoid: sugars, white flours, processed foods, transfats. All this stuff works against healing and is damaging to the entire body
Lifestyle
*1. avoid standing at least for 25% of the day standing for long periods of time increases pressure on the veins. the most affected are people in service positions who stand on feet for hours causing a 10 fold increase in venous pressure.
*2. don’t cross your legs (stops circulation from flowing freely)
*3. elevate legs when resting above hips
4. elevate the foot of your bed to create a gentle slant
5. avoid wearing high heels
6. massage in an upward motion to increase circulation
*7. Non negotiable: Feet up daily, 25% of work off her feet, dance 50% less for a month to recover and always on a softer floor like wood (not cement)
Herbs Internal
*Tincture: Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) 30 drops 3 times per day
A key constituent for healing varicosities is RUTIN. It is a yellowish color flavinoid specific for healing bruises. Rutin is an anti viral, also an anti inflammatory, antioxidant that helps in capillary fragility, for help with spider veins, varicosities, hemorrhoids and bruising. Self Heal is high in rutin and being as it grows just about everywhere it is easily accessible. Essential oils stimulate healthy cell renewal and growth… Even though Self Heal is non-aromatic it is high in these oils and they are extracted in alcohol. So a Self Heal tincture is the ticket!
*Vinegar: Chickweed and Cleaver infused vinegar
Tea: Drink three cups of this tea daily. Set this up in a french press before going to bed at night, so that it steeps and infuses overnight. Drink the whole press over the course of the following day. (If you are taking blood thinners, check with your doctor before using Red Clover.)
- Calendula flowers Calendula will strengthen the capillary and vein walls, which reduces fluid leakage.
- Red Clover flowers Red Clover will keep your blood moderately thin so that is can move through more freely.
- Yarrow (leaves and flowers) flowers Yarrow is a circulatory stimulant that will help dilate those vein walls a little bit so that it’s more apt to get the blood that you need moving.
- Comfrey (leaves) will help heal the connective tissue in the valves. (not sure if this is necessary for spider veins but it is for varicosities)
- For flavor you can add Goji berries, Rose hips, a pinch of Mint, and Ginger. Sarah I did not put together this blend for you because I am leaving this choice up to you. Call Heather Nic an Fhleisdeir to order the herbs from her and get her advice on adding Comfrey if you think this is key to your healing.
Herbs External
*Spidey Spray! Spray topically 3 times per day
- Yarrow infused in Witch Hazel distillate Not only is Yarrow a circulatory stimulant it is anti microbial: anti inflammatory, anti viral, anti bacterial, anti fungal. It is also an astringent tightening tissues. As an anti septic Yarrow prevents infection and as a styptic stops bleeding and pulls together cut tissue so need for stitches are less likely.
- Calendula infused in Witch Hazel distillate Anti-inflammatory Calendula is famous for it’s ability to heal skin conditions of any kind.
- Butcher’s Broom provides support and strength for the capillaries as well as the veins. This potent herb also contains anti-inflammatory steroidal molecules that diminish capillary swelling and fragility. I bought this from Herb Pharm
- Sage and Lavender Essential Oils
Vitamins and Minerals
1. Vitamin K
2. Magnesium Spray
Household Remedies
1. Bath with Epsom salts, acv and Rosemary EO
2. ACV tonic http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CYuV8uYKSp0 This is a daily tonic that I take for basic overall health. I’ve not been sick once since implementing this 2 years ago.
3. Castor oil Pack, these have been traditionally used to drive medicines deep into the body tissues. Google how to do this if you are interested.
Body or Energy work
1. try hot and cold therapy topically to get stagnation moving Hydrotherapy in the form of hot and cold compresses (for varicose veins in the legs) can provide the greatest immediate relief from pain. Simply apply the hot and cold water in one- to three-minute intervals. The improved circulation will help decongest the veins.
2. Aromatherapy for circulatory health. Essential oils recommended for stimulating circulation: Ginger, Orange, Peppermint, Rosemary (never take essential oils internally, and use sparingly in a carrier oil)
3. Dry Brushing: a great way to improve circulatory health, combined with aromatherapy it can be even more effective http://www.alive.com/articles/view/23296/improving_circulatory_health
Links for further help
Here is a wonderful article about varicose vein solutions…herbally. The success story is encouraging and the 70 some comments interacting with the author of the article help to tweak understanding.
http://commonwealthherbs.com/2011/07/varicose-veins-a-solution/
This article is on natural healing for varicose veins using astringent herbs. It will help you appreciate some of the herbs we are using in your protocol
http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/astringent-herbs-for-varicose-veins.aspx
Disclaimer: Holly Drake is not a medical doctor. All communication is for informational purposes only. Not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. Seek your healthcare provider if you so choose.