Foot Circulation - Dawgs™ Footwear



Foot Circulation

Major concerns to Podiatrists are problems of circulation. Gravity does its best to pull the blood to the feet, but it is not ensuring a return trip. Because, in the human body, the major foot arteries are the farthest away from the heart, many circulatory problems will first display themselves in the feet.

The arteries carry blood away from the heart and the veins carry blood returning to the heart and lungs for regeneration - for nutrients and oxygen - after the blood's supply of oxygen has been used up to nourish the tissues of the body.

There are two main arteries that supply the feet with the essential blood supply. These are: the dorsalis pedis artery and the posterior tibial artery. These two major arteries distribute oxygenated blood through smaller arterioles to the many tissues of the feet. Healthy arteries have thick walls that are strong and elastic. To accommodate the pressure created by the pumping of the heart, they must stretch with each heartbeat.

Half of deaths in the United States each year are caused by cardiovascular diseases. The single greatest killer of Americans today is hardening of the arteries and arterioslcerosis. This occurance involves a lack of blood-flow to a given area of the body, particularly the feet, since they are farthest from the heart.

Reduced blood-flow to a part of the body means that the muscles may become oxygen-deficient. Some symptoms of oxygen-deficiency are a cramping pain in the calf and lower leg. At the same time the feet may become cold. (Though not all muscle cramps should be interpreted as a sign of cardiovascular disease, if you suspect a problem seek medical advice.) Some times a person with a circulatory problem will develop thick and brittle toenails.

Varicose Veins
Veins are thinner than arteries. Since veins are returning blood back to the heart, they are under less pressure. Veins are more numerous than arteries and contain about 70 percent of the body's blood at any one time. Since blood returning to the heart from the lower part of the body must move against gravity, most of the larger veins contain one-way valves to keep the blood from pooling in the feet and legs, or moving backwards.

Another well-known circulatory problem is varicose veins. Varicose veins are veins that have a valve problem. when this happens, blood moves backward and the veins become swollen. These veins swell, because of the blood they are being forced to hold, until eventually they do not function properly. The larger, deeper veins develop valve problems, and at that point the used blood re-routes through smaller, more superficial veins.