How to Increase Circulation in Your Feet

Medically reviewed by Gerardo Sison, PharmD · Last updated

Key Takeaways

  • Lose extra weight and walk on a plan, two steps that help both artery and vein problems.
  • Find out whether your problem comes from narrowed arteries or weak veins.
  • Ask your doctor whether leg raising and compression are safe for your arteries.
  • Check your feet every day, because poor blood flow and diabetes raise the risk of slow-healing sores.
  • Call 911 if your foot suddenly turns pale, blue, or cold, or you cannot feel or move it.

You can increase circulation in your feet by treating its cause, such as narrowed leg arteries or weak leg veins. Narrowed arteries carry less blood down to your feet. Weak veins let blood pool in your legs instead of flowing back to your heart.

Some steps help with both problems. They are losing extra weight, walking on a plan, and stopping smoking. Controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol may also protect your arteries. Raising your legs and wearing compression can help weak veins. Both can be unsafe for a leg with badly narrowed arteries.

If you have diabetes, poor blood flow raises the risk of foot sores that heal slowly.

What Does Poor Circulation in Your Feet Mean?

Poor circulation in your feet means your feet get less blood flow than they need. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart down to your legs and feet. Veins carry blood back up to your heart.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) means plaque has narrowed the arteries in your legs. Chronic venous insufficiency is a vein problem in which the valves in your leg veins are weak or damaged.

Artery and vein sores tend to form in different places.

Type of ProblemMain SignsWhat Often HelpsWhat to Avoid or Check First
Narrowed leg arteries (PAD)Leg pain when you walk that eases with rest, a pale, blue, or cold foot, numbness, slow-healing sores on toes or feetWalking on a plan, treating risk factors, not smoking, medical care for blocked arteriesRaising your legs or using compression before your doctor checks your arteries
Weak leg veinsAching, heaviness, or swelling that is worse after standing and better with legs raised, bulging veins, skin color change, a slow-healing sore above the ankleWalking, moving often, raising legs for swelling, weight loss, compression if prescribedLong periods of sitting or standing, and compression without an artery check

How Can You Increase Circulation in Your Feet?

You can increase circulation in your feet by treating the artery or vein problem behind it. Start with the steps that help both.

Lose Extra Weight

Losing an extra weight you might be carrying may ease pressure on the veins in your legs. Less pressure helps blood flow back up to your heart. Extra weight also raises the risk of both PAD and vein problems.

If you are overweight, losing 3%–5% of your weight can help manage some PAD risk factors. These include high cholesterol and diabetes. Losing more weight can lower blood pressure.

In studies, weight loss was linked to lower levels of a blood marker of inflammation called C-reactive protein. Weight loss also helped the inner lining of arteries work better on a lab test. These lab results do not prove that weight loss improves blood flow in your feet.

Ask About Weight-Loss Medicines

Ask your doctor whether a weight-loss medicine is right for you. Your prescriber decides whether a medicine fits your health history.

Tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound, is approved in the United States for weight loss. It is for adults with obesity, or adults with overweight and a weight-related health problem. Zepbound is also approved to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. It is used with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.

Semaglutide, sold as Wegovy, is approved for weight loss as a shot or a tablet. Wegovy also has other uses. In adults with heart or blood vessel disease and excess weight, it is approved to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease. The Wegovy shot is also approved to treat a liver disease called MASH.

Tirzepatide sold as Mounjaro and semaglutide sold as Ozempic are approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Neither brand is approved for weight loss.

None of these medicines is approved to treat poor circulation or PAD. All of them need a prescription. They can cause side effects.

MedicineBrandAverage Weight Loss in Label StudiesWith Placebo
TirzepatideZepboundAbout 21% at 72 weeks at the highest doseAbout 3%
SemaglutideWegovy HDAbout 19% at 72 weeks at the highest doseAbout 4%

Walk on a Plan

Walking on a plan can ease leg pain from narrowed arteries. Regular activity can improve blood flow in your legs. It can also help your blood vessels work better.

If you have leg pain when you walk, use this cycle:

  1. Walk until the pain becomes moderate.
  2. Rest until the pain eases.
  3. Walk again, and repeat for the whole session.

A supervised exercise program is a recommended first treatment for this kind of leg pain. The program meets at least three times a week for at least 12 weeks. Each session includes 30 to 45 minutes of exercise. Medicare and most private insurance plans cover supervised exercise for this kind of leg pain. Medicare requires a referral from your doctor.

If no program is near you, ask your doctor about a walking plan at home. A common home goal is at least 30 minutes of walking per session. Over time, walking may help new small blood vessels form.

Swimming, biking, dancing, yoga, and stretching are other ways to stay active.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for PAD. It damages blood vessels. Nicotine can tighten blood vessels and lower blood flow to your legs and feet. If you smoke, ask your care team for help to quit.

Control Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol

High blood sugar, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol raise the risk of PAD. If you have diabetes, ask your care team about ways to lower blood sugar.

If you have PAD and high blood pressure, your doctor may aim for a blood pressure under 130/80. Your doctor may also prescribe a cholesterol medicine called a statin. Do not start, stop, or change a prescription medicine on your own.

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

A heart-healthy diet limits saturated fat, salt, added sugars, and alcohol. If you drink alcohol, the latest US Dietary Guidelines recommend drinking less for better overall health.

Move Often When You Sit or Stand

Sitting or standing for a long time can make vein problems worse. Walking makes your calf muscles contract, which helps push blood in your veins back up to your heart. Try these moves:

  • Wiggle your toes for a few minutes.
  • Move your ankles up and down and in and out.
  • Do heel raises.
  • Bend and straighten your legs every few minutes.
  • Change position often.

Do not wear tight socks. Do not hold up loose socks with rubber bands.

Raise Your Legs for Vein Swelling, Not Artery Pain

If your leg arteries are badly narrowed, raising your legs can make pain worse. Letting your legs hang down, such as over the side of the bed, may ease that pain. Ask your doctor whether leg raising is safe for you.

If your doctor says your problem is vein swelling, raising your legs can help. Patient guidance for vein problems suggests raising your legs above your heart three or four times a day. Each time, keep them up for 5–15 minutes.

Use Compression Only if Your Doctor Says It Is Safe

If the arteries in your legs are badly narrowed, compression can cut blood flow further. Ask your doctor to check the blood flow in your legs before you use compression. The check is often an ankle-brachial index test, which compares the blood pressure at your ankle and your arm. People with diabetes should not wear elastic stockings unless a doctor prescribes them.

Compression stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up. They can ease aching, heaviness, and swelling from vein problems. They relieve symptoms only. If your doctor says compression is safe for you, follow these steps:

  • Get a prescription and a fitting for the right pressure and length.
  • Put the stockings on in the morning.
  • Keep them smooth, without bunches or wrinkles.
  • Replace them every three to six months.
  • Tell your care team if they are too uncomfortable.

Protect Your Feet Every Day

Check your feet every day, including between your toes. If you cannot see the bottoms of your feet, use a mirror or ask someone to look. If you have PAD and diabetes, have a doctor examine your feet twice a year.

  • Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water, and dry them well.
  • Test the water first with your elbow or a thermometer, which should read 90°F to 95°F.
  • Do not soak your feet because soaking dries the skin.
  • Do not put a hot water bottle or heating pad on your feet.
  • Put lotion on the tops and bottoms of your feet, but not between your toes.
  • Do not treat corns or calluses yourself.
  • Wear socks and well-fitting shoes at all times, and never go barefoot.
  • Wear socks to bed if your feet are cold.

What Are the Signs of Poor Circulation in Your Feet and Legs?

Signs of poor circulation in your feet and legs include walking pain, cold or pale skin, numbness, swelling, and slow-healing sores. Artery and vein problems cause different signs.

Signs of Narrowed Leg Arteries

  • Pain, aching, or cramping in the leg when you walk, often in the calf, that eases within minutes of rest
  • Pain that is worse when you raise your legs and better when you dangle them over the side of the bed
  • Pain at rest, especially at night
  • One foot colder than the other
  • Pale or blue skin on the foot or leg
  • Toenails or leg hair that stop growing
  • Weakness or numbness in the leg or foot
  • A sore on the toes, feet, or legs that heals slowly or not at all, including a black, painful sore

Leg pain that starts with activity and stops with rest is called claudication. Chronic limb-threatening ischemia is severe PAD with pain at rest, sores, or infection.

Signs of Vein Problems

  • Dull aching, heaviness, or cramping that is worse when you stand and better when you raise your legs
  • Swelling in the lower legs or ankles
  • Bulging, bluish, or twisted veins
  • Itching, burning, or tingling
  • Skin color change or thickening near the ankle
  • A slow-healing sore above the ankle

What Causes Poor Circulation?

Poor circulation in your feet can come from narrowed leg arteries, weak leg veins, a blood clot, or Raynaud's phenomenon. Plaque buildup in artery walls, called atherosclerosis, is the main cause of PAD.

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein, most often in the leg. Raynaud's phenomenon narrows small blood vessels in the toes when you are cold or stressed.

These conditions and habits raise the risk of artery or vein problems:

  • Smoking
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol or high triglycerides
  • Obesity
  • Lack of activity
  • Sitting or standing for long periods
  • Older age
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • A clotting disorder
  • A family history of vein disease

PAD is about two to four times more common in people with type 2 diabetes.

How Does Poor Circulation Lead to Foot Ulcers?

Poor circulation can lead to foot ulcers because a sore cannot heal well without enough blood. A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore on the foot of someone with diabetes.

Nerve damage, poor blood flow, and changes in foot shape can all lead to diabetic foot ulcers. Nerve damage can take away feeling in your feet. You may not notice a blister or cut. When blood flow is low, a sore or an infection has trouble healing.

With vein problems, high pressure in the lower leg veins can cause a slow-healing sore, usually above the ankle.

If you care for someone with diabetes, check their feet every day for cuts, sores, red spots, swelling, or blisters. Call their care team right away about a cut or blister that does not start to heal after a few days.

Do Home Remedies Like Warm Soaks, Massage, or Supplements Help?

No home soak, rub, or supplement is recommended to improve blood flow in the feet.

  • Foot soaks can dry out the skin on your feet.
  • Hot water, hot water bottles, and heating pads can burn numb feet without you noticing.
  • B vitamins and vitamin D did not lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease in people with PAD.
  • Ginkgo did not meaningfully improve walking distance in people with PAD.

Ginkgo may also raise the risk of bleeding if you take a blood thinner.

How Do Doctors Check the Circulation in Your Feet?

Doctors and other healthcare providers check the circulation in your feet with questions about your symptoms, an exam, and simple blood pressure tests. They may feel the pulses in your feet and listen for the sound of blood flow.

The ankle-brachial index test uses a blood pressure cuff and an ultrasound device. It is painless. A low result suggests narrowed leg arteries.

Stiff ankle arteries from diabetes can make this test less accurate. Your doctor may then check the blood pressure in your toes instead. A Doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to show blood flow in your legs.

What Medical Treatments Improve Circulation?

Healthcare providers treat poor circulation with medicines and procedures. Medicines can lower your risk of clots or ease leg pain. Procedures can open or bypass a narrowed artery or close a damaged vein.

  • Angioplasty uses a small balloon, and sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent, to open a narrowed artery.
  • Bypass surgery routes blood around a blocked artery.
  • Vein procedures close or remove damaged veins.
  • Statins lower cholesterol.
  • Aspirin or clopidogrel helps prevent blood clots.
  • Cilostazol may make walking easier for some people with leg pain.

Do not stop aspirin or clopidogrel without first talking with your care team. Cilostazol should not be used by people with heart failure.

The medicine pentoxifylline is not recommended for leg pain from PAD. Chelation therapy, an IV treatment meant to remove metals or minerals from the body, is not recommended either.

As of November 2026, no published trial has reported how tirzepatide affects walking in people with PAD. One year-long trial studied about 800 adults with type 2 diabetes and PAD who had leg pain when walking. People who took semaglutide improved their walking distance more than people who took a placebo. This use is not on the US label for semaglutide.

When Should You Call a Doctor or 911?

Call your doctor or care team if you notice new or worsening signs of poor circulation.

  • Leg or foot pain that does not ease after a few minutes of rest or is getting worse
  • A cut, blister, or sore on your foot that does not start to heal after a few days
  • Redness, swelling, warmth, pus, fever, or chills that suggest infection
  • One foot that is colder, paler, or more numb than the other
  • Painful varicose veins, worsening swelling, or skin sores above the ankle
  • Sudden pain or swelling in one leg, which may mean a deep vein clot

Call 911 if your foot suddenly turns pale, blue, or cold, or you cannot feel or move it.

Call 911 if a leg swells or hurts and you also have chest pain, trouble breathing, or cough up blood.

Call 911 if a varicose vein bleeds heavily or keeps bleeding after 10 minutes of firm pressure.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Bring these questions to your next visit:

  • Is my circulation problem in my arteries, my veins, or both?
  • Do I need an ankle-brachial index test or a toe pressure check?
  • Is it safe for me to raise my legs or wear compression stockings?
  • Can I join a supervised exercise program, and will my insurance cover it?
  • Is a weight-loss medicine right for me, and what are its benefits and risks?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Vitamin That Improves Circulation in the Feet?

No vitamin is recommended to improve circulation in the feet. In people with PAD, B vitamins and vitamin D did not lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease.

What Can I Rub on My Feet to Improve Circulation?

Nothing you rub on your feet is recommended to improve circulation. Lotion can soften dry skin on the tops and bottoms of your feet, but keep it out from between your toes. Do not put a hot water bottle or heating pad on numb feet.

What Can I Drink to Improve Circulation?

No drink is recommended to improve circulation. A heart-healthy diet limits alcohol and drinks with added sugar.

How Can I Check the Blood Flow in My Legs at Home?

You cannot measure the blood flow in your legs at home the way a clinic test can. You can check your feet each day for changes in color, temperature, swelling, sores, hair, or nails. Report any new change to your doctor.

Can Poor Circulation in the Feet Be Reversed?

Whether poor circulation in the feet can be reversed depends on its cause. Many cases of PAD in the legs can be controlled with lifestyle changes, without a procedure. Vein problems tend to get worse over time, but early treatment can help manage them.

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice.