I’ve been told many times that sitting for too long causes blood clots in your legs. Why isn’t this happening all the time to people in wheelchairs?
In: Biology
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People in wheelchairs don’t stay sitting in the same position all day. They get uncomfortable like anyone else and adjust their position, or they move from wheelchair to normal chair and back again. They’re usually just in their wheelchair if they are going somewhere, if they need it for mobility.
People with limited mobility can also be prescribed blood thinners to reduce clotting risk.
People in wheelchairs or bedridden due to being paralyzed need to have their position moved every few hours to avoid bedsores and blood clots.
People in wheelchairs who are not paralyzed will move around periodically but are still at risk of blood clots.
Your calves have something called the calf-muscle-pump which helps blood in the veins return to the heart. Lack of movement can cause blood to pool in the legs and being sedentary for long periods of time can make this pump work poorly. If a clot forms and migrates up to the heart or the lung it can be bad.
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