Doctors are testing a new treatment to boost your blood flow

Standing on a pulsating plate for half an hour is one treatment being tested to reduce blood flow in the legs, relieving the pain of a common circulatory condition.

One in five people over 60 has peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a build-up of fat in the walls of the arteries in the legs that restricts blood flow and prevents muscles from working properly.

Muscles need a regular supply of oxygen and nutrients, which is provided by blood flowing through a network of arteries.

While some patients with PAD have no symptoms, in others, blood flow is so limited that even walking causes paralyzing pain, a problem known as intermittent claudication. This pain usually disappears after a few minutes of rest.

People with the condition – a form of cardiovascular disease – often suffer from other arteries in the body as well, putting them at risk for heart attack and stroke, and damage to vital organs.

Treatment for PAD usually involves surgery, in which a segment of a healthy vein is taken from elsewhere in the body and used to bypass the blockages and restore adequate blood flow to the legs. About 23,000 such procedures are performed in the UK each year.

The two-hour operation is very effective in many cases. Exercise is recommended after surgery as it has been shown to have beneficial effects on the functioning of the blood vessels in the legs.

However, many patients do not follow these rehabilitation programs, says Dr. Punit Ramrakha, a consultant cardiologist at Hammersmith Hospital in London, and as a result the graft may fail.

When this happens, the tissue becomes starved of oxygen and nutrients and can become infected and die, causing the leg to be amputated, usually below the knee.

The vibration plate – called Revitive and tested in the NHS – offers a new way to keep these grafts working.

During a 30-minute session, patients receive electrical pulses to the soles of the feet that activate nerves in the legs and help stimulate blood flow. (Stock image)

During a 30-minute session, it delivers electrical pulses to the soles of the feet that activate nerves in the legs, causing muscles to contract and relax and stimulate blood flow.

The device offers different levels of stimulation in different settings. Improvements in blood flow suggest a promising role for the device in keeping these grafts open and making them last longer, say doctors at Charing Cross Hospital in London, who are conducting a trial with 34 patients.

These patients have a one-time session with the device after surgery to see if it improves blood flow.

A new study, published in the journal Wound Management & Prevention, found that blood flow to the foot increased by more than 40 percent when healthy volunteers used the device for ten minutes.

Dr. Ramrakha says, “Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of leg muscles. . . can effectively replace, promote or complement physical training. This trial will show whether this technology helps patients on their way to recovery. ‘