Managing a circulation problem can be a long journey full of uncertainties and obstacles. As a result, those dealing with symptoms should know if there is a treatment for poor circulation in the hands and feet. If you have found yourself wondering “what is causing my poor circulation?”, and are looking for options, you've come to the right place.

Keep reading to find answers to questions you may have had about this including causes, symptoms and most importantly, methods for finding relief from your symptoms!

What Does Poor Circulation in the Hands and Feet Feel Like?

First and foremost, let’s identify the symptoms of a circulation issue. If you’ve been experiencing changes or pain and discomfort in your hands and feet, you may be dealing with a circulatory issue. Individuals with circulation problems often experience symptoms including:

• Changes in skin colour: Bluish or purplish hands and/or feet

• Numbness or tingling

• Swelling

• Temperature changes: Hands and/or feet that feel cold to the touch. 

• Changes in mobility: Difficulty moving fingers and/or toes

• Fatigue

• Visible varicose veins

No two people will have the exact same experience with poor circulation in the hands and feet. For some, it’s a mild nuisance, for others, it impacts many aspects of their lives including their work, social life and more.

Why is Proper Circulation so Important?

Your circulatory system plays a major role in your overall health and wellbeing. Here’s why it’s so important: the circulatory system transports blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the entire body, providing your organs with the tools they need to work properly. The circulatory system sends blood to every part of the body to ensure proper function and maintain overall health. Proper circulation is especially critical for brain, heart, lung and muscle function.

Circulation also plays a key role in the health of your immune system; the circulatory system transports white blood cells all around the body in order to fight off disease and infection. That being said, it’s clear why symptoms of poor circulation should not go ignored, and why it’s important to find a treatment for poor circulation in the hands and feet.

What Causes Poor Circulation?

Some of the most common risk factors for experiencing poor circulation in the hands and feet include smoking, age and obesity. Most notably, sitting for long periods of time has been linked to impaired blood circulation.

There are also a variety of underlying conditions that can be related to poor circulation. Always consult your doctors for a diagnosis and management of circulation issues, as doctors can help identify underlying causes and provide effective treatment. These conditions include:

• Atherosclerosis: This condition develops as a result of plaque build up in the blood vessel walls or arteries. As these pathways narrow, narrowed arteries make it more difficult to circulate blood.

• Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes are susceptible to damaged blood vessels due to high blood glucose levels, leading to poor circulation. Poor blood sugar control can cause the build up of fatty deposits in blood vessels, further worsening circulation.

• Anemia: Iron deficiency can often lead to anemia, a lack of red blood cells in the body.

• Raynaud’s phenomenon: This condition is characterized by blood vessel constriction in response to cold or stress, leading to poor circulation in the extremities.

• Blood clots: These are clumps of blood that do not dissolve on their own, causing pain and swelling.

Who is at Risk? Common Risk Factors for Poor Circulation

Poor circulation in the hands and feet can affect anyone, but some people are more likely to experience it due to certain risk factors. Knowing what puts you at higher risk can help you take steps to protect your circulatory system and improve blood flow throughout your body.

If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, or high blood pressure, you may be more prone to poor blood circulation. Age is another important factor—our blood vessels naturally become less flexible as we get older, which can make it harder for blood to move efficiently, especially to the fingers and toes.

Certain health conditions can also increase your risk. People with diabetes, high cholesterol, or a history of blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis) are at higher risk for circulation problems. Varicose veins, erectile dysfunction, and cardiovascular problems can also signal underlying issues with blood flow. Raynaud’s disease and Raynaud’s phenomenon, which cause blood vessels in the hands and feet to narrow in response to cold temperatures or emotional stress, are other common culprits.

Lifestyle choices play a big role, too. Smoking, obesity, and a diet high in saturated fats can all lead to poor circulation and higher blood pressure. Physical inactivity can cause blood to pool in the lower limbs, increasing the risk of swelling, pain, and even serious complications like tissue damage or blood clots. Even younger people can be affected if they have these risk factors.

To reduce your risk, consider making lifestyle changes such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet low in saturated fats, and managing stress. Wearing compression stockings, staying warm in cold weather, and keeping hydrated can also help improve blood flow and reduce poor circulation symptoms like cold hands, numbness, or tingling.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, ignoring signs of poor circulation can lead to serious complications, including dry skin, hair loss, and even tissue damage. The National Institute of Health recommends regular physical exams and blood tests to monitor your blood pressure and overall circulatory health. If you notice symptoms like persistent pain, swelling, or a blue tinge to your skin, it’s important to consult a doctor to rule out underlying medical problems and get the right treatment.

By understanding your personal risk factors and taking proactive steps, you can help keep your blood vessels healthy, improve blood circulation, and protect your hands and feet from the effects of poor blood flow.

Is There a Treatment for Poor Circulation in The Hands and Feet?

There are viable, accessible methods out there for improving circulation in the hands and feet. But as great as that may seem, it can actually be quite difficult to narrow them down and find something that really works for you. Before beginning any treatment, it is important to consult a doctor for a physical exam to help identify the underlying cause of poor circulation. In order to help you find meaningful pain relief methods to add to your pain management routine, we’ve outlined our top four treatments for poor circulation in the hands and feet.

1. Get Moving Regularly

When you’re in pain, exercising is probably the last thing you want to do. But getting over this initial hump and finding physical activities that you truly enjoy can help you develop this healthy habit. Getting regular exercise is one of the most meaningful things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. And for those dealing with poor circulation in the hands and feet, exercise is especially important as it contributes to your cardiovascular health and gets your heart pumping! Regular exercise also helps keep blood moving throughout your body, which is essential for healthy circulation. High-intensity workouts specifically are optimal for getting your blood flowing. This can include the following kinds of exercise:

• Running or jogging

• Jumping rope

• Biking and rollerblading

• Aerobic exercise such as kickboxing and dancing

Aerobic exercise offers significant health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, increasing oxygen intake, and lowering blood pressure.

For those looking for lower-intensity activities, try the following instead:

• Practicing yoga

• Swimming

• Gardening

• Hiking

Any of the above exercises can help improve your overall health and especially your circulation, regardless of your preferred intensity level. Plus, all of these exercises can make for fun, social hobbies! Regular physical activity also helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, supporting overall circulation.

2. Try TENS & EMS for Blood Flow

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) can offer temporary relief for those dealing with painful symptoms related to circulation. 

TENS is a form of pain therapy that is found in DR-HO'S devices such as the Circulation Promoter and Circulation Promoter PRO, which are specifically designed for use on the feet and lower limbs. These help temporarily relieve pain associated with sore and aching foot and leg muscles and help temporarily increase local blood circulation. If that's not enough, the Circulation Promoter is designed to feel like a soothing, hands-on massage, with sensations that feel like kneading, chopping and rubbing.

The conductive footpads in the Circulation Promoter are divided into sections to better target different areas in the soles of the feet, with DR-HO'S conductive pads in the heel and arch areas to provide more consistent, comfortable and soothing stimulation. These footpads are engineered to pass gentle TENS, EMS and AMP stimulations from the Pain Therapy device to the body. The advanced Circulation Promoter PRO comes with circulation sleeves that can be worn around the calves or knees to further help increase circulation and reduce swelling in the legs and feet. With AMP technology and TENS, EMS, and NMES therapy, this device treats two areas at once through dual independent ports, six therapeutic modes, and a programmable timer.

Learn more about these pain therapies: 

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) Therapy: Gently stimulates the nerves to help reduce pain signals sent to the brain and provide temporary relief of pain. Additionally, TENS therapy is thought to aid in the release of endorphins — a naturally occurring chemical that may also provide temporary pain relief.

EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) Therapy: EMS gently stimulates healthy muscles, causing them to contract and relax in order to increase local circulation and soothe soreness. Stimulating healthy muscles also helps improve and facilitate muscle performance.

• NMES (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation) Therapy: NMES technology reaches deeper muscle layers, encouraging more substantial muscle engagement. This helps support the treated area while promoting improved circulation.

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  AMP Technology: A proprietary technology that provides over 300 different stimulations that vary in wavelength, frequency and rest periods. These stimulations are programmed to automatically change, so you get a soothing variety of pulses.

  You have the power to get targeted, deep, penetrating pain therapy with DR-HO'S! And you can use it several times a day to help relieve your pain.

  Curious about TENS & EMS for circulation? Learn more here:

  • The Circulation Promoter Product Guide

  • How to place DR-HO'S Body Pads on the hands for poor circulation

3. Massage The Affected Areas

Massage therapy can be an effective pain relief method for those dealing with poor circulation. Not only does massage help soothe pain and soreness, but it can also be incredibly relaxing. Those who deal with pain are also often managing stress, and stress in turn can worsen pain. Address both of these issues with an invigorating massage. You should also consider trying massage therapy for the following benefits:

• Improving circulation and alertness

• Lowering heart rate and blood pressure

• Improving immune function

• Reducing muscle soreness and stiffness

Another technique to promote circulation and exfoliate the skin is dry brushing, which involves using a stiff-bristled body brush on dry skin before showering.

Massage therapy encompasses a wide variety of styles and techniques, so you can always work with your massage therapist of choice to find what feels best for you!

4. Try Compression for Improved Circulation

Compression is a pain relief method that can be beneficial for those dealing with poor circulation in the legs and/or feet specifically. Compression socks and stockings are very snug-fitting articles of clothing that will gently squeeze your feet and legs. They work to compress your blood vessels so that your arteries can relax and blood can flow more easily.

Many of those who deal with poor circulation in the lower limbs will find that as they go about their day, their swelling, pain and other symptoms worsen. In addition to improving local circulation, compression socks and stockings can also reduce this swelling and discomfort that often accompanies circulatory issues. Compression stockings are commonly used to reduce swelling in the legs.

What’s more, compression socks and stockings can help to prevent further circulatory problems such as blood clots. Blood clots in the legs can sometimes break apart (leg breaks) and travel through the bloodstream, leading to serious complications like stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism.

Take steps today to feel better tomorrow.

We hope that our recommended treatments for poor circulation in the hands and feet help you discover new ways to look at and manage your symptoms. Use these practical tips in your daily routines to improve circulation, so you can do the things you love again!

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes, and should not be treated as medical advice. While our advanced TENS machine can benefit various pain conditions through its sophisticated combination of TENS, EMS, and NMES guided by our proprietary AMP Technology, proper diagnosis ensures optimal pad placement and treatment protocols. Always consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis before beginning any treatment program.

Learn More About Circulation on the DR-HO'S Blog!