With the arrival of spring and summer, many people’s thoughts turn to travel. But long-distance travel often means long hours confined to an airplane or in the car, which can lead to sluggish circulation, blood clots, swelling, and pain.
If you are planning a long-awaited vacation or if a business trip is coming up for you soon, there are some important things you should know before you go that can help prevent leg pain and swelling when traveling. Studies show that the risk of developing a blood clot, also known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT, during a long-distance flight is between 3% and 12%.[1] And you don’t have to have varicose veins or venous insufficiency — even people with healthy circulation are at increased risk.
Tips to Prevent Leg Pain, Swelling on Planes
The good news is it’s possible to prevent leg pain when flying and significantly reduce your risk for blood clots. To help make your travel more comfortable, we’ve compiled this handy list of simple tips:
Stay Hydrated
It’s easy to become dehydrated while traveling. In planes especially, air humidity can be quite low, but this can also happen in other forms of public transportation, such as trains and buses, where you aren’t in control of the air conditioning system.
When you’re on a long drive in your car, you don’t have ready access to running water or a fridge, so it’s important to plan for your hydration needs. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as these have diuretic effects.
This is not the time to put off hydration to avoid making stops to use the restroom. Prioritize clot prevention by staying hydrated to avoid cramps or blood clots when traveling, as pain can ruin your trip.
Pull Over for a Break
Take frequent short breaks to stand up, stretch your legs, and walk around. Prolonged sitting, which slows blood circulation and promotes clotting, contributes to 75% of blood clots and leg pain after flying on long air flights or road trips.
On long drives, make sure to pull into rest stops frequently and walk for a few minutes. The exercise will get your blood moving, and the fresh air will invigorate your senses and keep you alert for the next leg of your journey.
Get an Aisle Seat
Getting an aisle seat on an airplane can make it easier to move around during your flight rather than trying to climb over your fellow passengers. Try to get up and move around at least every two hours during a long flight. Walk up and down the aisles a few times just to keep your circulation moving. Greet your fellow passengers and encourage them to do the same.
Bend and Flex
In between walking breaks, moving your feet can help move blood through your legs by contracting your calf muscles. Take your shoes off to allow full circulation to your feet, flex and point your toes in a paddling motion, make circles with your ankles, and draw the alphabet in the air with your big toe.
Each of these little exercises adds up to big benefits for your circulation while you are confined to an airplane or in the car.[2] Also, lean your seat back to stretch your legs, if you have the option, and try pulling your knees up to your chest one at a time and holding for 15 seconds.
Wear Compression Stockings
Don’t leave your compression stockings at home when you travel, as these can be a simple tool to help prevent leg pain on long flights. The use of elastic compression stockings prevents blood from pooling in the lower legs and has been shown to virtually eliminate the risk for deep vein thrombosis in patients with standard risk factors during long-distance travel.[3]
Wear Loose Clothing
Tight or binding clothing, aside from being uncomfortable, can impair the circulation in the legs, promoting blood clots. You can be both fashion-forward and health-conscious during long-distance travel by wearing loose, stylish clothing.
Ask Your Doctor About Taking Aspirin or a Clot Inhibitor
If you’re in a high-risk category, consider checking with your doctor about taking low-dose aspirin or a clot-inhibiting drug.
In one study, 3.6% of high-risk participants who took 400 mg of aspirin daily for three days before a long-distance plane flight developed blood clots compared to 4.8% in the control group. In the same study, another group received the clot-inhibiting drug heparin. In that group, there were no instances of deep vein thrombosis
Why Does Flying Cause Leg Pain?
Now that you know how to prevent leg pain after flying, why do so many still experience leg pain while traveling? The increased risk of leg pain is caused by being in cramped conditions for long periods, particularly as airlines have tried to squeeze more passengers into tighter spaces.
Circulation is not optimal, particularly in your legs, when you can’t move around. The pain is caused by sluggish circulation due to long periods of immobility that can lead to deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs. Prolonged sitting can also cause venous stasis, where blood pools in the legs, putting pressure on the veins. Once you’re able to move around, both of these conditions clear up.
Long-distance travel also comes with a particular set of circumstances that contribute to this increased risk. Seven main risk factors can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis when traveling. These include:[1]
- The length of time you will be sitting. For example, air flights over 6 hours have more than double the risk compared to short flights.
- Age – 45% of deep vein thrombosis occurs in those over 40.
- Use of hormone therapy.
- Oral contraceptive use increases risk by up to 40-fold.
- Hormone replacement therapy increases risk by 2.4-fold
- Having varicose veins – increases risk by 19%.
- Being overweight – having a BMI greater than 30 increases the risk of circulation problems that can cause leg pain when flying.
- Having a genetic predisposition to clotting – can increase your risk by 8-fold for ground travel and 12-fold for air travel.
- Being taller or shorter than average may cause you to have to sit in unnatural positions with little room to stretch your legs. The risk of DVT increases for people taller than 6’2” for all modes of travel and those less than 5’2” for air travel.
If you have any of the risk factors for developing a blood clot or experiencing leg pain, speak to your doctor before traveling to discuss personalized prevention measures and solutions.
Managing Leg Pain After a Plane Ride
Even if you take all of the precautions discussed, you may still find yourself with leg pain after flying. Luckily, most of the time, the pain goes away once you start moving around again. Start moving as soon as possible once you exit the plane or vehicle. Just a short 10-15 minute walk can make a major difference.
Consider light stretches or using a foam roller to roll out stiff muscles. An Epsom salt bath or a massage can help restore circulation and reduce pain in your legs.
If you are concerned about the risk of blood clots and are going on a long trip, get in touch with our team to find out about your personal risk factors for varicose veins and other vascular problems. We invite you to schedule a free consultation at Empire Vein and Vascular Specialists. All of our physicians are board-certified vascular surgeons who specialize in helping people improve their vein health.
Empire Vein and Vascular Specialists is the top provider of VenaSeal™, the leading outpatient varicose vein treatment in the USA. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-VARICOSE.
References
- Air travel and the risk of thromboembolism. Intern Emerg Med, 2011. 6(2): p. 113-6
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21057984 - Travel-related venous thrombosis: results from a large population-based case control study (MEGA study). PLoS Med, 2006. 3(8): p. e307
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16933962 - Blood Clots and Travel: What You Need to Know. Available from:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/travel.html - Prophylaxis for travel-related thrombosis? Yes. J Thromb Haemost, 2004. 2(12): p. 2089-91
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15613009 - Venous thrombosis from air travel: the LONFLIT3 study–prevention with aspirin vs low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in high-risk subjects: a randomized trial. Angiology, 2002. 53(1): p. 1-6
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11863301