Washington, recommends this simple exercise: First, raise your hands over your head. Hold them there for about a minute so that the blood drains from your fingers. Then rapidly whirl your arms in big circles for a minute to send the blood back to your fingers. Repeat the exercise several times a day.VisualizationEnvision relief. Martin L. Rossman, M.D., has had considerable success in treating Raynaud's with visualization therapy. He suggests practicing this visualization when your symptoms flare up: Imagine that you are lying on warm sand in the warm sun. See yourself running your fingers through the sand, absorbing its warmth.BiofeedbackTrain your vessels to relax. Using biofeedback, you can learn how to keep the blood vessels in your fingers open and free from spasms. Certified biofeedback therapist Nancy Schwartz of Orange Park, Florida, has taught biofeedback to many people with Raynaud's. "Most reduce their symptoms by about two-thirds," she says.Herbal MedicineGo with ginkgo. "Europeans often recommend ginkgo for Raynaud's;" says James A. Duke, Ph.D. "This makes sense to me. If 1 had Raynaud's, I'd try ginkgo."If you'd like to try this herb, naturopath Donald Brown, N.D., professor of herbal medicine at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington, recommends taking 80 milligrams of a standardized ginkgo extract twice a day. You can buy the extract in health food stores.Home RemediesBundle up your hands. Before retrieving anything from your refrigerator or freezer, slip on a pair of gloves or mittens, advises Anne Simons, M.D. To keep your hands really warm, wear a pair of light­weight glove liners underneath your gloves or mittens.Give your fingers the military treatment. While stationed in Alaska, some members of the u.s. Armed Forces had problems with Raynaud's. So Army researchers developed the following treatment, which you can try at home during the cold winter months.In a room at a comfortable indoor temperature, soak your hands in a container of warm, not hot, water for 3 to 5 minutes. Then go outside into the cold and soak your hands in warm water for 10 minutes. Army studies have shown that people who repeat this treatment three to six times every other day for a week usually notice improvement in their Raynaud's symptoms.Go soak. As an alternative to the Army program, try soaking your hands in warm to hot water for about 10 minutes once or twice a day. You may get some relief from your symptoms.Cut out caffeine. The caffeine in coffee, tea, colas, and some over-the-counter drugs constricts your blood vessels, which can aggravate your Raynaud's symptoms. "People with Raynaud's often experience noticeable relief when they cut out caffeine," Dr. Gaby says.Be wise when you imbibe. When you drink, alcohol increases blood flow to the surface of your skin. This produces a sensation of warmth that extends right to the tips of your fingers. But the effect is only temporary, Dr. Gaby says. The heat is soon lost to the air, and your hands end up colder than they were to begin with. So alcohol can actually make your symptoms worse.Snuff out those cigarettes. If you smoke, the nicotine in your cigarettes may aggravate your Raynaud's. That's because nicotine constricts blood vessels, including those in your fingers.In fact, even if you don't smoke, you should try to limit your exposure to secondhand smoke. Some people are so sensitive to nicotine that even inhaling someone else's cigarette smoke can cause their blood vessels to spasm.