Chances of Deep Vein Thrombosis in Miditation?

horsebones

During sitting meditation, I usually get numbness in one of my legs after about 10 or 15 minutes. Should I worry about this or could this lead to something like Deep vein thrombosis?

Thanks.

RebeccaS

I think you'd get the best, most accurate answer to this question from your physician

Lotus21

From the personal experiences in the past the numbness went away with very focused concentration on that numbed leg which came about 45 minutes of cross-legged sitting.

MaryAnne

I have to agree with RebeccaS...
Not knowing your age, your physical limitations (or lack of), or your medical history, it's a very sketchy thing to be asking medical advice from a bunch of laypeople (not doctors) on a spiritual forum.

There can be a whole slew of things going on that numbness might be a warning sign of. Then again, there might be nothing more serious going on than you're sitting on too hard a surface and temporarily cutting off blood supply to surface veins/arteries. But sometimes even the least serious issue can possibly become serious, if you ignore it and cause it to happen over and over and over again. Even common varicose veins can become serious issues as a person gets older...

Please check with your doctor and explain your issue (and how you sit meditation) thoroughly. Why take chances?

MaryAnne

I didn't want to say this in my own words, so I copied it from the well-respected Mayo Clinic web site:

[snip]
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain, but often occurs without any symptoms.

Deep vein thrombosis can develop if you're sitting still for a long time, such as when traveling by plane or car, or if you have certain medical conditions that affect how your blood clots.

Deep vein thrombosis is a serious condition because a blood clot that has formed in your vein can break loose, travel through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism). [end snip] [Italics mine]

It is better to shift your weight and/or sit on something softer and thicker, or use a meditation stool so much of the weight is taken off your legs, calves and ankles, than to try to 'meditate your numbness away' - or ignore it.

RebeccaS

Following from what Mary Anne said, there's things like medications that can cause clotting, pre existing medical conditions... All sorts of things that only your doctor can know about. "Going through it" is advice that should only be taken seriously if it has come from a physician. It might be good advice for some, terrible advice for others. Only your doctor can say if that's good advice for you.