For many people with varicose leg veins, the worst thing about them is how they look. Until, that is, they start causing bothersome symptoms like swelling, aching leg pain and heaviness, spontaneous muscle cramping, and itchy skin.
At Somerset Surgical Associates, LLC, our skilled team of vascular experts provides complete care, including a full scope of advanced treatment solutions for people with problematic varicose veins. Here, we offer seven effective ways to ease leg pain caused by varicose veins.
Why do I have varicose veins?
Your leg veins have one-way valves that keep blood moving from your lower extremities back to your heart. When something weakens or damages these valves, blood no longer flows through them efficiently. Instead, it pools behind them and exerts pressure on the surrounding vessel wall, causing it to swell and contort — or become varicose.
Most varicose leg veins look like enlarged, twisted cords beneath the surface of the skin. No matter which risk factors contribute to their development (i.e., being older, female, overweight, or inactive), poor circulation usually plays a significant role.
Also known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), poor circulation is a common condition that progresses with age and inactivity. CVI often sets the stage for varicose vein development, and the sluggish blood flow that comes with varicose veins can make CVI worse.
How can I ease painful varicose veins?
Painful or throbbing varicose veins can make your legs feel uncomfortably achy, swollen, heavy, and cramped. As these symptoms become more persistent or severe, they can stop you from being as active as you’d like.
Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to ease leg pain and other varicose vein symptoms. Our top seven tips fall into two general categories:
Prompt pain relief
To ease painful varicose vein quickly, we recommend:
1. Elevating your legs
Sitting with your feet on the floor or standing for long stretches can readily trigger varicose vein pain or make it worse. Putting your feet up gives your leg veins a gravity assist that helps reduce pressure on their hardworking valves. It’s especially important to make time to elevate your legs periodically if you have a job that keeps you on your feet all day.
2. Moving your body
One of the best ways to ease achy varicose veins is by boosting lower extremity circulation, and one of the quickest ways to do that is through movement. By promoting increased circulation through your entire body, physical activity helps prevent the kind of blood flow stagnation that makes varicose veins feel worse.
You don’t have to hit the gym, either — simply taking a brisk walk goes a long way in improving lower extremity circulation and easing varicose vein symptoms.
3. Drinking more fluids
Dehydration acts to slow blood flow, effectively heightening poor circulation and intensifying varicose vein symptoms. Increasing your fluid intake and working toward maintaining optimal hydration can improve your blood flow, take pressure off your lower extremities, and ease leg pain. Having pale yellow or clear urine most of the time is a good sign of proper hydration.
4. Trying cold therapy
When your varicose vein symptoms flare at the end of a long day, try using cold therapy to reduce your discomfort. Taking a cool bath or shower causes blood vessels to contract, which helps take the pressure off painful veins and soothe achy, heavy, or cramped legs.
Long-term pain relief
To assist lower extremity circulation, halt or reverse CVI progression, and minimize your risk of experiencing varicose vein symptoms as time goes on, we may recommend:
5. Losing excess weight
Carrying extra weight places excess strain and undue pressure on your entire circulatory system. If you’re overweight, losing just a few pounds can go a long way in easing painful varicose veins.
6. Exercising every day
Physical activity is most effective for easing varicose vein symptoms when it’s a regular daily habit: Getting 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise every day can help minimize or prevent leg pain as time goes on.
7. Trying compression therapy
Specially designed to assist your veins with the upward movement of blood from your lower extremities to your heart, compression stockings support efficient circulation and help prevent leg swelling and varicose vein pain.
When should I consider treatment?
If self-care strategies and lifestyle changes don’t provide effective relief from painful leg veins, it’s probably time to consider one of our minimally invasive varicose vein removal solutions. We offer:
- Conventional chemical sclerotherapy
- Varithena® microfoam sclerotherapy
- Radiofrequency (RF) venous ablation
Removing problematic varicose veins is the most effective way to resolve painful symptoms. To learn more about the varicose vein solutions at Somerset Surgical Associates, LLC, call or click online to schedule a visit at one of our three offices in Somerville, Hillsborough, and Somerset, New Jersey today.
