Rehabmart offers many different types of vasodilatation assisting items at discount prices. Visit our mobile whirlpool page to view the different products we have to offer!

What is Vasodilatation?  Besides being one heck of a Scrabble word score, vasodilatation, also referred to as vasodilation, translates to the widening of blood vessels which leads to an increased blood flow in the body tissues that need it most, particularly with the large veins, large arteries, and the smaller arterioles.  This is important for people with diabetes or post-surgical lower body operations, or for people who suffer repeated acute leg cramping.  The legs are at the bottom of the body’s blood pump station and need to have good, strong avenues to transfer blood and oxygen throughout the lower body.  Normally, this is not a problem because people are usually moving their legs throughout the day, creating muscular and vascular contractions that push the nourishing blood up and down the legs.

Yet some people, most notably people who are diabetic or those who are bed- or wheelchair-bound, or people who have prohibited movement due to leg operations, might experience problems retaining good and strong blood circulation in their lower extremities.  One of the best and easiest ways to create better vasodilatation is through warmth.  When warm, the blood vessels in the legs usually become more dilated, therefore increasing blood flow and circulation.  Some of the most common ways to create warmth for the legs is by using an electric blanket, a hot water bottle or a heating pad.  While these types of treatments do work, they also come with side-effects such as burns and drying the epidermis, leading to a warning for diabetics not to use such heating devices.  Not being able to safely use electric heating devices or hot water bottles has deprived many people with diabetes the circulatory benefits of vasodilatation.

Rehabmart now has something new to offer in place of electric or hot water heating devices.  A safe, prolonged, local, passive heating source called Vaso-Wraps®.  Vaso-Wraps® are made of thick, custom quilted nylon and can be quickly and easily wrapped around a leg, usually the lower leg, with Velcro.  There are no electrical wires or other types of heating elements that might burn a person’s skin.  

The Vaso-Wraps® work by insulating the wearer’s body heat, warming the leg and creating better blood circulation, while at the same time keeping out colder air.  Fitting snugly and comfortably and with no slippage or sliding off the leg, the secure wrap will offer warmth within seconds.  This non-invasive and non-pharmacological warming device provides a ‘Safe Warmth’ which is a passive, prolonged, and safe vasodilatation, allowing diabetics to sleep safely all night while receiving the benefits of vasodilatation.  The ‘Safe Warmth’ provided by the Vaso-Wraps® helps increase vasodilatation in the micro-circulatory system, greatly assisting in thorough blood circulation, helping prevent diabetics from suffering non-healing ischemic diabetic ulcers.

The use of Vaso-Wraps® is also very effective at eliminating chronic leg cramps.  A person who suffers from leg cramps will generally get little concern from the medical community, but experiencing the pain of leg cramps is a very big concern for the person waking up in the middle of the night yelling out a surprised scream.  Sure, exercising, stretching and taking warm baths can help leg cramps but sometimes they don’t, even if a person has the time to do all of that before bed.  Vaso-Wraps®, while increasing the blood flow to the body tissues that need it most, also helps in relaxing the smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, allowing the cramped leg muscle to receive needed blood and oxygen to relieve and ‘untie’ the knotted muscle.

Another possible benefit of the prolonged and safe vasodilatation brought about by the Vaso-Wraps® is the delivery of oral antibiotics to the micro-circulatory system of infected areas such as the lower leg, feet and toes by providing better circulation.  Being an FDA Registered, Class 1 medical device, Vaso-Wraps®, besides being indicated for ‘Safe Warmth’, are also indicated for Limited Protection.  

Wound care is yet another good reason to use Vaso-Wraps®.  Certain wounds need to stay moist, warm and protected, and if a wound care specialist states that “moist warmth” would be beneficial to an injury that is not healing properly, the Vaso-Wraps® can offer an optimal environment for such healing even while the person sleeps at night.

Be it diabetes, leg cramps, ‘cold feet’ or ‘cold legs’ due to poor circulation, Vaso-Wraps®, can offer easy, safe, and comfortable warmth to the lower extremities anytime it is needed.  Whether you're sitting at a desk during the day or lying down in bed for a good night’s sleep, Vaso-Wraps® can help you to keep your legs warm and healthy.

Bill Stock
Executive Editor,
Content & Social Media Services
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO