Poor Circulation Treatment: 15 Home Remedies to Improve Blood Circulation

Poor circulation is a health issue that afflicts many of us. It can have side effects that range from minor cold hands and feet to more serious ailments such as pain in the legs or irregular heartbeat. If you let it go long enough without treatment, poor circulation may lead to some pretty severe health issues.

So, what can you do for poor circulation treatment? Luckily, there are non-invasive poor circulation treatments available that may help improve blood circulation naturally. As an added bonus, most of these poor circulation home remedies are easy to do.

15 Home Remedies to Improve Blood Circulation

The majority of these poor circulation natural remedies can be done within the comfort of your own home, and without the negative side effects of surgery or prescription drugs.

1. Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is just a fancier way of saying a good soak. Taking a hot bath, whirlpool bath, steam bath, and the like can help dilate the blood vessels, which promotes blood circulation.

2. Cayenne

Cayenne may help promote blood circulation due to its active ingredient called capsaicin. Capsaicin has been found to stimulate blood flow as well as strengthen arteries and capillaries. You can try consuming it in various mixtures. One such mixture includes one-half teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder, two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar, and one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in a cup of water. Drinking this mixture twice a day could help your circulation problem. Pregnant women, however, should avoid cayenne.

3. Ginger

Ginger is a highly regarded home remedy for a number of different ailments, but it could also help with poor circulation. Ginger contains antioxidant compounds gingerols and zingerone, which reportedly have a warming effect on the body that helps promote blood circulation. The great thing about ginger is that it’s easy to consume. You can drink it in ginger tea, chew on a slice or two, or simply add it to your cooking. If the thought of chewing on raw ginger isn’t too appealing, you may be able to find it in pill form at many natural food stores.

4. Garlic

Another common ingredient in many home remedies, garlic may help poor blood circulation as well as prevent blood platelet aggregation and lower blood pressure. Much like ginger, garlic is very easy to consume as it can be easily added to a lot of recipes but can also be eaten raw (one or two raw cloves a day are suggested). If you can’t handle the taste of garlic, it is available in pill form.

5. Essential Oil Massage

Using essential oils for massage therapy can not only help promote circulation, but it may also relieve symptoms of poor circulation like sore muscles. Recommended essential oils are rosemary, eucalyptus, and lavender. Massaging with these oils will help warm the tissue and keep the skin soft, which will help promote circulation.

6. Stretching

It may seem unusual, but simply stretching the limbs that are experiencing poor circulation problems may help. In this vein, you may want to consider yoga, as the ancient Hindu practice is all about stretching and movement. Yoga also has the added benefit of low-impact exercise. If you sit for long periods of time, remember to get up and stretch and move around a little. Sitting for too long may affect your circulation.

7. Exercise

Regular exercise, especially activities that help strengthen the circulatory system (like cardio), can help promote blood flow. Just walking for 30 minutes, five days a week can make a difference. The regular exercise will benefit your body as a whole as a healthy side effect. Remember to stretch before exercising not only to avoid injury, but also to maximize the benefits to your circulatory system.

8. Green Tea

The antioxidants of green tea could help relax the arteries and promote blood flow. It may also help boost nitric oxide levels in the blood. This compound can help widen blood vessels, which could increase blood flow as well.

9. Quit Smoking

If you are a smoker, quit. Cigarettes contain numerous ingredients that are disastrous to your health, but a number of them revolve around the heart and circulatory system. The nicotine found in cigarettes is particularly bad for blood circulation.

10. Avoid Alcohol

There is a little bit of a caveat to this. You want to avoid alcohols in excess because alcohol abuse can bring about number of health issues involving the heart, which would also cause problems with circulation. Remember to always drink in moderation, and try to avoid alcohols with high sugar content. Red wine is a better choice for a drink or two, as it contains a number of antioxidants that may help circulation and your overall heart health.

11. Watermelon

Adding watermelon to your diet may also help your low circulation as it contains lycopene, the powerful plant pigment responsible for its bright red hue. Lycopene may help prevent plaque from building on the walls of your arteries, which would, in turn, make it easier for blood to flow through your body.

12. Dark Chocolate

According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, dark chocolate (we are talking about chocolate that is 70% cocoa or darker) can help improve blood flow in the legs as it can help the arteries to widen.

13. Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice often used to add a bit of heat to food dishes from around the world. It’s also a spice that contains the chemical compound curcumin, which could help prevent plaque buildup on the arteries as well as stop blood platelets from forming clots. Both of these things could help with blood circulation. Turmeric can be added to a number of recipes, but you can also consume it in drink form. Add one teaspoon of turmeric to one cup of milk and a bit of honey to taste. Drinking this concoction may help with poor circulation.

14. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil might help your poor circulation woes due to the triglycerides and healthy fats found within. These properties can help relieve inflammation of the arteries, allowing for better blood flow throughout the body. Two or three tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil, once a day is recommended for maximum effectiveness.

15. Relax

This will be one of the hardest things to do on this list for many people. Relaxation and relief from stress can help dilate blood vessels, leading to better circulation. How you relax is up to you and your preferences, but meditation is a historically effective way to take your mind off the stresses of life and the world. Yoga is a good way of combining both relaxation and exercise. Or maybe all you need to do is sit back with some relaxing tunes while lounging on the sofa. The key, however, is to relax and let those blood vessels dilate.

Poor Blood Circulation Can be Improved

As it turns out, you can try many home remedies to improve poor circulation, most of which may not only help with poor circulation, but they might also improve your heart and overall health. If you think you may have poor circulation, you can take extra steps to improve the situation before more serious effects take hold or damage is done.  Most of our remedies are easily made with ingredients that are easily procured or activities that are easily done. However, as many of these remedies include natural plants and herbs, it’s important to be aware of any allergies or sensitivities you may have. As always, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal remedy.