Vein problems

The severity of vein problems (spider veins, varicose veins, venous insufficiency) varies. Effective prevention is very important, since veins may not recover once they are damaged and can cause great pain.

Constant muscle activity on the soft, elastic surface of the kybun mat and the kybun shoe sole activates the venous muscle pump and your legs do not get tired. This provides relief for the veins at every step, keeping them healthy.

Definition

  • Spider veins (defined in internal medicine as a subtype of varicosis) are small, modified, visible net or fan-shaped veins lying directly beneath the epidermis.
    They occur mostly on the legs. Spider veins may be due to a congenital predisposition or caused by congestion in the vein system. In this case the fine blood vessels lose their original elasticity over time due to permanently elevated pressure. The veins distend and become visible as bluish-red, meandering vessel structures.
    Even though spider veins, where there is no involvement of the remaining vein system, do not constitute an illness in the medical sense, they do represent a significant cosmetic problem for many people.
  • Varicose veins are raised, distended veins close to the surface of the skin. In medical terminology, the illness underlying varicose veins is called varicosis or varicosity. The superficial veins in the legs, including their main stems, the Vena saphena magna and Vena saphena parva are affected.
  • Chronic venous insufficiency (chronic vein insufficiency):
    The risk of this illness increases with age, obesity, phlebitis and vein thrombosis after leg trauma. Pathological high blood pressure in the superficial veins is an important factor in the development of chronic venous insufficiency.

Causes

  • Lack of exercise for the legs (extended standing or sitting, unsuitable shoes, e.g. with heels)
  • Pathological high blood pressure
  • Congenital venous wall and/or connective tissue weakness
  • Thrombosis, tumour (secondary cause)

Long-term consequences

Varicose veins are not merely a ‘cosmetic’ issue but constitute a serious illness. As the condition progresses, the return blood flow is disrupted and the associated, elevated peripheral venous pressure causes severe damage in the legs, especially in the area of the distal lower leg. Initially, the pathological changes manifest only in the form of discrete and non-specific symptoms such as (increased one-sided) swelling of the leg, a feeling of heaviness, itching or night time calf cramps. The scarring of skin, subcutaneous tissue and fascia (dermatolipofasciosclerosis), stasis dermatitis, inflammation of the superficial veins (thrombophlebitis) and even venous ulcers are severe, in part incurable clinical pictures. The risk of thrombosis with subsequent lung embolism is comparatively low. In old age, advanced skin damage frequently leads to life-threatening varicose vein bleeding after minor injuries.

Conventional therapy

  • Compression or surgical stockings
  • Naturopathy: cold showers according to Kneipp, salves, teas, poultices
  • Medications
  • Minimally invasive surgical procedures

The kybun principle of operation – being proactive

The venous muscle pump and venous valves make it possible for blood to be transported against the force of gravity from the legs to the heart. When we move, the venous muscle pump pushes the blood up. Sufficient exercise is essential for this to work well. When standing for a long time, the legs soon start to feel heavy and are more likely to swell.

Exercise means blood flow and therefore circulation. With kybun training on the kybun mat or in the kybun shoe, you keep your balance through small compensating movements in the feet. On the soft, elastic sole, the feet can move freely in all directions with a natural rollover while walking. This activates the muscle pump in the legs and promotes the return flow of venous blood to the heart as well as activating the lymphatic system.

Compared to compression stockings, which support the flow of blood from the outside, the kybun shoe activates the muscles in the foot and lower leg for active support from the inside.
Combining the kybun shoe and compression stockings provides maximum support for the veins in your legs!

Initial reactions

Specific initial reactions with vein problems:

If you have circulatory problems in the lower legs, the calf musculature may cramp easily while walking in the kybun shoe/standing on the kybun mat. If that happens, perform relaxation exercises. With time, your body will become accustomed to the intensive training in the kybun shoe/on the kybun mat and calf cramps will not occur as often.

 

Click here for the general initial reactions experienced by kybun mat and kybun shoe beginners: Initial reactions

kybun exercises

For information about the special kybun shoe exercises or the basic kybun mat exercises, please click here: kybun exercises

Application tips

  • Perform the rollover across the entire foot, from the heel strike to pushing off with the big toe.
  • If your calf musculature gets tense or cramps up, perform relaxation exercises such as a loosening jog trot (see kybun micro-interval training).
  • Make sure your toes stay relaxed in the kybun shoe/on the kybun mat – avoid clenching!

Opinions/customer testimonials

kybun shoes ideally combine three important factors of healthy and pleasant walking in shoes – the springiness of every step, comfort – thanks to the perfect shape and spaciousness of the shoe – and easy lower extremities workout and exercise just through regular walking, thanks to the principle of the unstable underfoot. Engaging maximum muscles of lower extremities as well as the torso automatically leads to their strengthening. Involving all muscles in regular walking also results in significant performance boost of the “muscle pump”, which has a wholesome effect on the venous and lymphatic system of lower extremities. Walking in these shoes therefore relieves chronic back and joint pain, is beneficial for overstrained tendons and ligaments and last but not least it can reduce tension and pressure in calves. The main use of kybun shoes is for me walking on hard surfaces – walking to work in the city, intensive city tourism (excursion tours, etc.). But you will greatly benefit from them in lighter terrain as well. Put on the kybun shoes and your feet will be grateful to you!! On top of that, they are just comfy to walk in…
Jiří Šedivý, M.D., head of the Department of Orthopedics, Jihlava Hospital, Czech Republic

"Since June 2009 I have been wearing kybun shoes whenever possible in my job as a postal worker and all my spare time. I hardly have any back pain any more and my varicose veins are just a bad memory. I am delighted and no longer like to walk in any other shoes."

Erika Eggenberger, postal worker, Nassen, Switzerland