Reversing Varicose Veins

People with varicose veins normally complain that their legs feel painful, tired or achy, especially after hours of shopping or sightseeing and in the evening. They may also experience a burning or jerking sensation in an isolated area of the leg. The underlying problem is failure of the saphenous veins underneath the skin surface which do not pump enough blood in the legs back towards the heart the way they should. Either the one way valves designed for this job disintegrate or they don't close completely and leak blood. Or the blood vessel walls weaken and bulge. Spider veins are simply varicose veins in the capillaries, the smallest branches of our blood vessel system.

Whether you have leaky valves,weak walls or both, blood stagnates, leading to swelling and discomfort. Anything that increases blood pressure in your legs increases pain, so your legs hurt more at the end of the day, especially if you have been standing all day long or forcing any bowel movement. Women also find that their legs normally ache more just before their period.

In contrast, anything that you do in reducing the pressure will help relieve pain. Lying in bed with your feet propped up can help counteracting gravity and get the blood flowing back towards your heart. But you can't spend the rest of your life on your bed. Luckily, there are a few ways to counteract gravity and get the blood pumping again.

Wiggling your toes inside your shoes every half an hour for a minute or two can get the job done, especially for those with long hours of sedentary works. And don't forget to flex your leg muscles and lift yourself on tiptoe as often as possible.

If it is practical, leave your desk and take a brisk walk around the office, perhaps to the coffee machine and back. As you walk, the calf muscle in your legs contract around the blood vessels, taking over the faulty valves and helping pump blood up through your veins.

People with varicose veins should wear elastic support stockingsl; these stockings force the blood back up to the veins. A medium weight,department store support hose will do. You don't need a heavy and unsightly compression stockings prescribed for people with circulatory problems. Also exercise regularly and wearing elastic stockings maximizes the pain control in your legs.

The preferred treatment for varicose veins is to destroy them with an injection called sclerotherapy which can be done with 2 or 3 visit to your doctor. Most of the problems develop in the superficial venous system between the groin and the ankle. These veins lie close to the surface and are dispensable. They circulate only 10 percent of our blood in the feet and legs. The deep veins below the muscles perform the rest of the blood circulation. Sclerotherapy is also used to treat varicosities in the branches of the long vein running from ankle to groin.

Surgery is reserved for varicosities in the long vein itself. it is performed by making two tiny incisions, one at each end of the problem. Recovery time can last for two days and if you do it in Friday afternoon,you can be back to work on Monday.