Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Massage Chairs Assist Edema Sufferers

By Steve Esquire

Some people experience that their feet or legs may begin to swell. Sometimes this is in the early morning and throughout the day progressively becomes worse. This is known as edema. Edema is when fluid is retained in the spaces that are between the body cells. Because the feet and ankles are at the lowest level of the body, they tend to be impacted more than in other areas. Relief from the swelling is important. Some sufferers of this condition, our relieving their muscle stiffness with a massage chair.

There are certain disorders of the heart, kidneys, liver and blood vessels can result in edema. These symptoms can cause some of these disorders that result in the swelling of the feet and lower legs. Some contributing factors to causing edema are neuromuscular disorders, the abuse of drugs and PMS.

Edema can typically affect the feet, ankles and the lower legs. These areas will tend to accumulate more fluid due to their relative positions when sitting and standing. Edema has also been known to impact other areas of the body. When this occurs a can have systemic symptoms.

How do you know if you are being affected by edema? The initial symptoms that may occur are the feet and legs swelling. This usually occurs as the day progresses. The swelling may start to begin in the morning and become more progressive during the day. This can start to weigh on you as the day goes by.

Sometimes sufferers of edema may notice swelling at certain times. Typically after a night of rest, the swelling will be at a minimum. However, with increased activity during the day the swelling may increase.

Pitting is also another common problem with long-term edema. Patients with this condition note that after depressing a certain area, it will remain depressed. The flexibility of the soft tissue to bounce back is delayed in this circumstance.

Edema can be progressive and start to show many other symptoms. Other symptoms that may be experienced are high blood pressure, headaches, increased urination and puffy eyes. Often sufferers of edema may also notice weight gain. This is hard as the mobility is affected by the swelling of the lower legs.

Seeking relief from edema is important. The stiffness associated with the swelling can cause discomfort. When dealing with swelling, elevating the legs periodically is helpful. This helps to circulate blood to those areas and helps with retaining less fluid.

You may also try leg wedges to elevate the feet while sleeping. Make sure that your feet fit well in your shoes and there are even supports socks. When you are trying to choose some shoes, just make sure you try them in the late afternoon. If you try them in the morning and your feet swell then they will not fit well in the afternoon.

Compression massages have been used to help reduce the swelling associated with edema. A compression massage uses inflatable airbags to provide a firm pressure. This helps to relieve tension to reduce the stiffness.

There are many massage chairs designed with air compression massages. Typically, the leg rest which massages the feet and calves will contain airbags. These airbags are used to apply a compression massage to particular areas of the feet and calf. This action can provide relief of muscle stiffness.

Always consult with your health professional on different treatment options for you. It is important to get diagnose properly to ensure that the treatments are effective. Certain cases may not be appropriate for the massage provided by a massage chair. Find out what is right for you but get frequent, reliable treatments.

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