A research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that a disciplined exercise program designed to increase leg strength has a positive impact on post-thrombotic syndrome, a chronic complication of deep vein thrombosis.

Till now there are no effective treatments available to deal with deep vein thrombosis effectively, and the symptoms can be painful for the patients. Research shows that one half of the patients develop post-thrombotic syndrome which means they experience pain, heaviness, swelling, water retention, hyperpigmentation, varicose veins and leg ulcers.

According to author of the study Dr. Susan Kahn, Professor of Medicine at McGill University, Division of Internal Medicine and Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, the pilot trial showed that a focused training program to improve leg flexibility can address some of the issues related to post-thrombotic syndrome.

Dr Kahn studied about 43 patients out of which only 39 completed the study which was done over a period of six months. She says that her research still needs further evaluation and broader test subjects. However she claims that the current result proves that focused exercise program can be used to treat this disease.