Are you suffering from painful, swollen veins in your legs? You are not alone. Over 40 million people in the United States have vein disease, which can cause varicose veins. Also known as venous insufficiency, vein disease can be responsible for many painful, uncomfortable, and undesirable symptoms. In extreme cases, dangerous conditions like blood clots or venous ulcers can also develop.
Common symptoms of vein disease include:
- Swelling in your legs and ankles
- Cramps or achiness in the thigh or calf
- Tired or heavy legs
- Restlessness, especially at night
- Itchy, dry, or hardened skin on your legs
- Wounds on your legs or ankles that take a long time to heal or don’t heal at all
- Leg pain that goes away when you walk or elevate your legs
Although varicose veins don’t just go away on their own, you can take action to relieve varicose vein pain.
Keep in mind that the following recommendations provide only temporary pain relief. If you are experiencing constant pain and discomfort, it may be time to consider varicose vein treatment. The good news is that you have options and probably won’t need vein surgery. At USA Vein Clinics, we offer minimally-invasive, office-based procedures that can effectively treat your varicose vein leg pain.
How to Relieve Varicose Vein Pain
Here are eight expert tips from our specialists:
- Elevate your legs: One of the most immediate ways to alleviate vein discomfort in your legs is to raise them above your heart. This allows blood to flow more easily towards your heart instead of pooling in your legs, ankles, and feet. This generally leads to varicose vein pain relief.
You can easily elevate your legs by lying on your back with your feet propped up on some pillows. You can also place your legs up against a wall or on top of a table. For the most effective results, we recommend elevating several times a day for 15-20 minutes.
- Get moving: If you have varicose veins, you may already know that long periods of sitting or standing can lead to pain. These positions can also worsen other vein disease symptoms like swelling, itching, and that uncomfortable feeling of heaviness.
To help manage your varicose vein leg pain, change positions frequently throughout the day. We suggest that you get up and move around for brief periods as often as possible. Also, try to avoid crossing your legs while sitting. During those times when you are unable to move around, you can periodically stretch out your calf muscles. This is easy to do while sitting at your desk, standing in place, or traveling by car or plane. Along with short periods of moving and stretching, it is also a good idea to exercise daily.
- Think about what you wear: It may help to avoid tight, restrictive clothing that can impact normal blood flow. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll benefit by being smart about your footwear. Always wear comfortable shoes, particularly if you will be on your feet for long periods.
Your doctor may recommend that you wear compression stockings for varicose vein pain relief. If you decide to wear these garments, be sure to get your legs properly measured. This will help ensure the best fit, greatest level of comfort, and most effective pain relief.
- Try hydrotherapy –– and remember to hydrate. There’s nothing quite like plain old water to help relieve varicose vein pain. Soaking or showering your legs, ankles, and feet in cool water can help relieve any swelling and discomfort.
Then, drink up! Proper hydration is essential for anyone with vein disease. Getting enough water promotes blood circulation, which can, in turn, alleviate your painful varicose veins.
- Watch your diet. Eating foods high in sodium can result in increased water retention and varicose vein pain. On the other hand, eating foods rich in potassium can help resolve these issues. If you want varicose vein pain relief, keep an eye on a balanced diet.
We also recommend that you maintain a healthy weight. Along with reducing the risk of severe vein disease, this can help control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Both of these health conditions can contribute to varicose vein development.
- Give your legs a massage. Gentle massage may help soothe your varicose vein leg pain. If you have trouble reaching affected areas, consider hiring a masseuse or recruiting someone to help you out. (You can always return the favor to a friend or family member later!)
- Take anti-inflammatory medications. Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can help alleviate the pain and swelling associated with varicose veins. However, if you are constantly swallowing pills, it may be time to learn about your vein treatment options.
- Consider varicose vein treatment. The most effective way to relieve varicose vein pain is through treatment. If you’ve avoided vein treatment because you don’t want to have surgery, we certainly understand. However, with improved non-surgical techniques, surgery is rarely required for varicose vein pain relief.
At USA Vein Clinics, our vein specialists offer a variety of minimally-invasive, office-based procedures to treat your varicose veins. Our FDA-approved techniques take only 15 to 30 minutes and offer a quick recovery. In fact, most patients can immediately return to normal activities.
Our varicose vein treatments include:
-
Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT)
-
Varithena Vein Treatment
-
Ultrasound-guided Sclerotherapy
-
ClariVein ® Treatment
Discover Effective Varicose Vein Pain Relief at USA Vein Clinics
We offer 90 state-of-the-art clinic locations across the country. We believe that everyone has the right to accessible, convenient, affordable vein treatment. Our services are typically covered by most major health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.
There’s no need to suffer from varicose vein pain any longer. If you’d like to learn more about how our treatments can provide varicose vein leg pain relief, please contact us. You can call (888) 768-3467, visit one of our clinic locations, or schedule an appointment online.
We are also now offering virtual doctor visits for your safety and convenience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please rest assured that all of our clinics are following strict precautionary measures to reduce the spread of infectious disease.
