Importance of the muscle called the second heart
The Fascinating Function of the “Second Heart” The nickname “second heart” is no accident; it stems from the soleus muscle’s extraordinary ability to pump venous blood back to the heart. Our circulatory system needs to overcome gravity to return blood from the lower extremities upward, where the heart can pump it again to the rest of the body. This is where the soleus comes into play, acting as a muscular pump. Every time the soleus contracts, whether walking, running, or even just standing, it compresses the deep veins that run through the calf. This compression forcefully propels the blood upward toward the heart, preventing it from pooling in the legs. One-way valves within the veins ensure that the blood flows in the correct direction, preventing backflow. This constant pumping action is important for maintaining efficient circulation and reducing the workload of the main heart.
Taking care of your second heart
If your feet are tired at the end of the day, or if you find yourself needing to stop and rest while shopping or doing other activities, you may have a circulatory problem, and that can affect your entire quality of life, says Dr. Sonja Stiller, a double-certified physician and founder of the Mentor Center for Advanced Vein Care. “The best thing you can do for your overall health is to keep moving,” she says. “But moving isn’t as easy as it seems for people with venous disease.”
That’s one of the reasons she has dedicated her practice to helping her patients become more active. “When we stop moving, our muscles become detrained and lose strength,” she explains. “Weak muscles decrease venous return, which means that blood has difficulty returning to the heart and tends to pool in the lower legs. This causes pain and swelling, and also leads to the buildup of metabolic waste (toxins) in the legs.”
