How to Treat Vein Pain: Proven Solutions That Work

Varicose veins are twisted, bulging blue or purple veins near the surface of your skin. Left untreated, they can cause pain, itching, throbbing or swelling in your legs. At Center for Advanced Vein Care, treatment often starts with compression stockings that squeeze your leg muscles and veins to help them move blood more efficiently. Lifestyle changes like losing weight and raising your feet while you’re sitting or lying down can also improve symptoms.

Ambulatory Microphlebectomy

Ambulatory Microphlebectomy is an outpatient procedure that uses a local anesthetic to minimize discomfort. It involves tiny incisions where your vein doctor inserts a hook to pull out the damaged vein section by section. It usually takes less than an hour.

Metro Vein Centers patients say they feel better and their varicose veins look much better after phlebectomy. But it’s important to note that this treatment doesn’t prevent new varicose veins from developing in the same area.

You might experience some bruising, itching or a tingling sensation after treatment. You might need a couple of treatments before you notice significant results. This is why many of our patients combine ambulatory microphlebectomy with other treatments, including foam injection sclerotherapy and Endovenous Laser Ablation. The great saphenous vein needs to be addressed first so the more visible tributary varicose veins can be treated with complementary methods, such as ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy or Varithena. It’s all part of a comprehensive approach to vein pain treatment at Metro Vein Centers.

Endovenous Laser Treatment

Varicose veins aren’t usually a serious medical problem, but they can cause pain or make your legs look unattractive. EVLT is a less invasive option for treating varicose veins than surgery. It involves placing a catheter in the affected vein and using laser energy to close it down. Blood will reroute to nearby healthy veins.

The procedure is performed in our office under local anesthesia and sedation. Using duplex ultrasound to locate the affected vein, your physician makes a small opening in your leg. A thin catheter is inserted, and then a laser fiber is guided into the vein. Short bursts of laser energy heat the walls of the diseased vein, causing it to close.

Your doctor will give you specific instructions about your recovery. It’s important to follow these guidelines, so you can heal properly and avoid complications like blood clots. We recommend that you walk for about a half hour three times a day to promote healing and keep your blood moving.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a common treatment for varicose veins and spider veins. It uses a needle to inject a chemical solution into the vein. This causes the vein to close. Blood then flows through healthier veins, and the twisted, enlarged veins fade from view. This procedure isn’t right for everyone. It’s not safe for pregnant women or those who have had a blood clot in the past.

Your vascular specialist will test the injection site with a small amount of solution. They may use ultrasound to find the best place to put the needle. You will wear compression stockings during the treatment. You should also avoid putting lotion or cream on the area. You might need someone to drive you home after the procedure. You should also avoid strenuous exercise, such as running or swimming, for several days. This will help keep pressure off the treated area while it heals. You might feel a slight stinging or itching. These symptoms usually go away within a few days or weeks.

VenaSeal® Closure System

The VenaSeal® Closure System treats symptomatic venous reflux disease, the underlying cause of varicose veins. It permanently closes the diseased vein through endovascular embolization with coaptation and a proprietary cyanoacrylate adhesive.

Our doctors will numb your leg with local anesthesia before puncturing the affected vein. Guided by ultrasound, they will insert a catheter into your diseased vein. The catheter delivers a special medical adhesive into the vein. Mild external pressure adheres the walls of the diseased vein together.

Unlike thermal closure treatments, VenaSeal does not require perivenous tumescent anesthesia or postprocedural compression therapy. Its low rates of adverse events (infection at the access site, phlebitis, hyperpigmentation, urticaria and allergic reaction to cyanoacrylates) make it a safe and effective treatment for patients with CEAP 6 venous leg ulcers. Its effectiveness has been documented in a multisite clinical study and by an independent meta-analysis. VenaSeal is the only non-thermal procedure that offers a high rate of anatomic vein closure.

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