Oxygen-rich blood enters the leg via the leg arteries, travel via the multiple branches of the major arteries until it enters the arterioles and then the capillaries. Here the exchange of gas, nutrients and waste between the blood in the capillaries and the tissue of the leg ensures that the leg structures are provided with an adequate oxygen and nutrients. Carbon dioxide and waste substances pass out of the tissue spaces and into the capillary blood where it collects into the venules, empties into the leg veins and returns to the heart. The circulation of blood through the leg is exactly the same as any other part of the peripheral circulation. The only major difference with leg blood circulation is that due to the distance of the lower legs and feet from the heart, the veins have adapted to ensure that blood is returned to the heart efficiently. This involves the musculovenous pump of the heart where the contractions of the leg muscles helps to propel blood back to the heart. At the same time, valves of the leg veins ensure that blood does not flow backwards away from the heart. Problems with Leg Blood Circulation A number of problems … Continue reading Poor Leg Circulation Symptoms (Artery vs Vein), Types of Problems