Paraplegic Circulation Issues-Ideas to stay healthy

Lately my energy level has fluctuated from very poor to extreme. In my younger days, I always had energy and never stopped moving until time for bed. These days it depends on how I wake up. Some days I wake up jumping out of bed and buzzing around like a bee on a flower. On other days I wake up having to drag myself out of bed and then mope around the house like Eyore from Whinnie the Pooh all day. This week I happened to notice that something had an affect on my energy level. On the days that I woke up with extreme energy I had worn my Ted Hose the day or night before. Ted Hose is what I call support hose. They look like pantyhose but are thicker. When I was in Shepherd at Rehab they gave me a pair and instructed me to wear them daily. I was 14. I never wore them. Mine were white and I am very fashion conscious so I chose fashion over my health. I know not a great thing to do. I never really noticed feeling different without them when I was younger. Now that I am nearing 30 I feel a huge difference when I wear them.

People with spinal cord injuries are prone to circulation issues. According to studies circulation issues are one of the common reasons for poor health and even death of someone with SCI. I recently did research on circulation issues for myself. There are many ways to increase circulation as someone with SCI. Here are a few ideas I found helpful:

1. Ted Hose or Support Hose
Wear these on a regular basis to increase circulation in the legs. I found a few pair online that I like. They have them for men and women. Here is a picture and link to one of the pair:

http://www.1800wheelchair.com/product/jobst-opaque-knee-high-stockings-15-20-mmhg/

 

 

 

 

2.  Exercise Regularly

Exercising the parts of your body that are paralyzed on a regular basis will increase circulation. Just moving around helps, but your legs and arms (if you are a quad) need more attention that just everyday movement. I've used different exercise equipment throughout the years. I really like the workout that you get from using armbike machines. These machines workout your arms and legs. If you are a high level quad try a machine that is power operated if you don't have use of your arms. Other ways to get exercise on a regular basis would be to join a sports team or take up swimming and cycling. Also, I have a post from a while back on paraplegic yoga. Participating in a yoga class or even doing yoga at home could increase circulation. See my post here: http://paraplegic-parenting.blogspot.com/2013/05/adaptive-yoga-yoga-for-paraplegics-and.html

 

 

 

 

3. Massage Those Legs and Feet

Another great way to improve circulation would be to have a leg massage. Massaging increases blood flow and circulation in the body. You can find deals on massages sometimes. If you cant afford one or don't feel comfortable with some stranger rubbing you down , like me, you could recruit a family member. When I was younger, I visited my aunt who used to be a nurse. The whole time I stayed with her she massaged my feet and legs. She said it would help me and I believe that it did. Like I said before, I never really noticed a difference in the way I felt when I was younger. My husband now massages my legs and feet. He probably does this once every other week. One thing I do notice after a foot and leg massage is a decrease in pain. Sometimes I have horrible nerve pain in my legs and a massage decreases my pain level.

 

 

Those are just a few ideas I found that helps me. If anyone has anymore tips or ideas or even experience with circulation issues please comment. I love hearing from you guys!