Natural Ways to Increase Blood Flow to the Extremities.

Tingling Hands and Restless Legs: Circulation May Be the Underlying Cause.

The following information has been gathered and compiled through personal experience, while traveling, teaching classes that include T'ai Chi, Qi Gong, herbal information, martial arts and other health related subjects. The article also contains feedback from students and anecdotal information from readers of my columns. The following are my opinions and deductions from those sources.

Niacin, vitamin B3, is a vitamin that can open the blood vessels on the surface of the skin, that’s why we get a “niacin flush,” redness, tingling and sometimes itchy feeling, when taking it. Generally, circulation problems that involved tingling, and the feeling that the body part is asleep, are connected with poor circulation in the deep blood vessels. B vitamins taken individually, will leach other b vitamins from the system. Always take a vitamin B complex if taking an individual B vitamin.

Niacinamide, essentially the same as niacin except in a different form, can help open the blood vessels deep in the body. If you suffer from arthritis type pain in and around the joints, increased circulation in those areas can reduce or eliminate the pain and niacinimide may help. Most information states that taking the supplement just before bedtime is most beneficial if the problem occurs more during the night.

The blood vessels, or capillaries, of the brain are extremely tiny. Any restriction in them can cause memory and learning difficulties. Niacinimide, by helping to open the blood vessels deep within the body, may help with clearer thinking and possibly a higher I.Q. Many cases of cramps have been remedied by increasing the blood calcium levels. But, if you’ve been that route and haven't noticed any improvement, the problem my be poor circulation.

If circulation is the cause, exercise is a good place to start. Exercises helps increase the size of the small blood vessels in the muscle, giving you a reserve blood supply. Exercise also helps remove waste material from the muscles and pumps the lymph system. The lymph system has no pump, like the heart, and relies on movement and muscle contraction to move the waste products that have been filtered out of the blood by the lymph nodes. If exercise and supplements, like niacinimide, don’t help the problem, you may not be digesting your food properly. Even if you’re taking calcium supplements, you may not be assimilating it.

Calcium, protein and iron are the three most difficult health essentials to digest. If you’re taking antacids, you could be lowering the hydrochloric acid in the stomach to a point that there isn’t sufficient amounts to properly digest these three essential nutrients. You may find it beneficial to take a digestive enzyme or betaine hydrochloric acid. Take all supplements, enzymes and minerals as directed or according to your health care givers instructions.