Natural Healing: Stretch to Prevent Blood Clots

If you’ve been wedged for hours in the seat of a plane (or a car or train), you’re at risk for developing a blood clot in your leg, a potentially serious—even fatal—condition dubbed traveler’s thrombosis or “economy class syndrome.”

“Blood needs to flow freely at a certain velocity to prevent clotting,” says Russell Rayman, M.D., executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association, an organization that tracks air-travel health issues. “As long as your blood flows unimpeded, there’s little likelihood of a clot forming,” he explains. “However, if you sit for long periods or compress veins by crossing your legs or sitting with the thighs flush against a seat edge, your risk increases.” That’s when the stage is set for a clot to form, a condition doctors call deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

A blood clot might go unnoticed, but occasionally one dislodges and moves to the lungs, where it’s potentially lethal. Fortunately, DVT from air travel occurs very rarely, Rayman says. Nevertheless, he urges travelers to be mindful. If you’re pregnant, a smoker, overweight or have coronary artery disease or circulatory problems, consult your doctor before embarking on a long international flight. And, thrombosis risk isn’t exclusive to the elderly; about one-fifth of people with the problem are younger than forty.

If you make an effort to keep your circulation flowing, you greatly reduce your risk of traveler’s thrombosis. A few airlines, including Lufthansa and Northwest, offer in-flight videos of preventive exercises. British Airways illustrates movements in their on-board magazine.

Circulation stimulators