Have you ever noticed that your legs swell during a prolonged flight or car ride, but you don’t know why?
DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, can occur when blood circulation slows in the legs after long periods of inactivity. Blood begins to pool in the legs, and a clot can form that blocks one or more of the blood vessels leading to or from the legs. People who experience DVT may have swelling, pain in the legs, and redness that appears.
This may not sound so serious at first, but it is what DVT can lead to that warrants your full attention.
If a blood clot forms in the legs, it can, under certain circumstances, break free and travel into the lungs, causing a truly life-threatening condition known as a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism can be accompanied by a sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, and rapid heartbeat, and a lightheaded or dizzy feeling.
So, why may this matter to you? Well, very simply, according to the Mayo Clinic website, the list of risk factors for DVT is about a mile long and includes everything from being pregnant to cancer to being overweight to your age. In other words, millions upon millions of travelers are at risk for DVT and its ugly complication known as a pulmonary embolism.
But something can be done about it.
As a lack of circulation in the legs can cause DVT, increasing circulation in the feet and legs can help to prevent it.
We know from dozens of studies in both western medicine and traditional eastern medicine that massage can help to increase circulation to body tissues.
Enter the Kenkoh Massage Sandal.
With nearly 1000 soft natural latex nodules, the footbed of the Kenkoh provides a gentle soothing foot massage that can help to increase circulation throughout the feet and legs and thus help to circumvent the harsh effects of DVT. Of course, to get the full effect of Kenkohs, you’ll want to get up and walk around in them for a few minutes every once in a while if you’re wearing them on a long flight, but the real bonus is that Kenkohs can help to increase circulation even when you’re sitting in your seat. Just run your feet over the massaging footbed. It’s as simple as that.
And of course, if you wear your Kenkohs on a long car ride or flight, you’ll also have a great soothing foot massage every night in your hotel room after a long day of seeing the sights!
For more information about the healthy benefits of Kenkoh Massage Sandals, visit happyfeet.com/kenkoh or kenkohrelief.com.
