New technology uses old-fashioned principles

What’s the best exercise for helping the veins return blood from the legs back up (against gravity) to the heart? Believe it or not, it’s good old-fashioned walking. Walking causes the

rhythmic contraction of calf muscles and helps promote blood flow to the heart.

What if you can’t walk for one reason or another? The foot pump is one way. Or you can try treadling!

A treadle is a foot-powered pedal or level used for circular motion, such as in a potter's wheel or sewing machine. At the Vein Healthcare Center, we sometimes recommend that patients use a machine called the CV2. Named for the natural “second heart” of the calf pump, the CV2 is essentially a treadle that uses momentum to keep the pedal—and the calf muscles—moving up and down for a long period of time and with minimal effort. It was invented by a physical therapist who used the concept of a sewing machine pedal in his design.

To learn more about this simply elegant machine, click here to read our latest issue of Vein Health News (Page 13 in the “New Alternatives” issue).