QUESTION: During my physical today, I told my doctor that I think I pulled muscles in my thigh, near my knee, last week, when doing squats. He looked at my leg, there are three lines, swollen, going on an angle, downward to the inside of my thigh. He said that I had swollen varicose veins – not muscle sprains. They hurt a lot – especially when I squat down or try to put on my shoe. Any idea as to what to do about the pain? And can you tell me, why do they hurt? I am going to see a cardiovascular doctor in a couple of weeks. But it hurts NOW!
Thanks for the help.
ANSWER: Hi Thomas and thanks for writing,
Wearing compression stockings is often the first approach to try before moving on to other treatments. Compression stockings are worn all day long. They steadily squeeze your legs, helping veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. The amount of compression varies by type and brand.
Some people think of compression stockings as being uncomfortable and unstylish, but their negative fashion reputation is no longer deserved. Stockings today come in a variety of strengths, styles and colors. With the variety offered, you’re likely to find a stocking that you’re comfortable wearing.
Compression stockings are sold at most pharmacies and medical supply stores. Prices vary. Prescription-strength stockings also are available.
When purchasing compression stockings, make sure that they fit properly. Using a tape measure, you or your pharmacist can measure your legs to ensure you get the right size and fit according to the size chart found on the stocking package. Compression stockings should be strong but not necessarily tight. If you have weak hands or arthritis, getting these stockings on may be difficult. There are devices to make putting them on easier. from: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00256.html
I hope this helps and all my best,
Expert: Margot RN BScN GNC
Varicose Veins – To find a physician in your to treat varicose veins and spider veins see www.1800varicose.com

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Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are tiny visible vessels or broken capillaries just underneath the skin. They develop most commonly on the face and legs and can cause discomfort as well as have an unsightly appearance. These veins are purple, blue or red and usually appear in three basic shapes: spider or sunburst, linear pattern and branch-like shaped.
Spider veins are common vascular abnormalities, present in up to 30 % of men and 50% of women in the United States.

Spider veins can be identified by examining the skin and will usually form in one of three basic shapes or patterns. 1.) Spider – They may appear in a spider shape (hence the name) with a group of veins extending out from a dark center much like a sunburst. 2.) Linear – They may appear as simple thin linear or reasonably straight lines. 3.) Branch – They may appear as tiny tree-branch like patterns. Linear spider veins are often discovered on the inner knee while spider and branch patterns can occur on the face and leg with regularity.

Spider veins can develop anywhere on the body from a small mostly unnoticed area to a larger area that may be unattractive. Commonly they are seen on the face around the nose, cheeks, and chin. They can also develop on the legs, specifically on the upper thigh, below the knee joint, and around the ankles.

Occasionally, patients may have pain associated with spider viens that may run from a dull, throbbing pain to a larger burning sensation. The larger veins will typically cause more discomfort than the smaller variety.

If spider veins become bothersome, they can be treated with; sclerotherapy (injection of a special solution), the laser, electrodesication, or intense pulsed light. They can disappear or become much smaller and there is about an 80 – 90% chance for a greatly improved appearance.

Spider veins are not the same as varicose veins. Spider veins are not necessary for the body, while varicose veins are necessary. In addition, spider veins are smaller and sometimes less noticeable than varicose veins. Varicose veins, much larger and darker in color, are often painful and can be related to a more serious medical condition. Separate treatment is usually necessary for varicose veins.

Spider veins can occur because of genetics, hormonal changes, pregnancy, weight gain, prolonged exposure to the sun, repeated and prolonged sitting or standing, minor trauma, contraceptives and the use of certain medications. Spider veins resulting from pregnancy usually disappear three months after delivery. (It is recommended to delay treatment if you decide to breastfeed.)

Spider veins are known to burn, swell, itch and ache. They can be unsightly and interfere with your lifestyle but there are some prevention steps that can be used to reduce the risk of developing spider veins.

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Laser Therapy is a method for treating spider veins and small varicose veins. A laser is pulsed on to the targeted vein. The laser heats the vein causing it to swell shut. It then clots and eventually turns into invisible scar tissue.

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Intense Pulsed Light is a method for treating spider veins. Light is directed on to the vein which causes it to heat up and collapse. The vein turns into invisible scar tissue.

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Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation is a non-surgical method of treating varicose veins. A catheter is inserted into the vein and pulled along its route to seal it with heat. It treats the underlying veins that cause varicose veins without the side-effects of traditional surgery. VNUS Closure™ and VNUS ClosureFAST™ are two methods commonly in use.

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Common symptoms are swelling in the legs, numbness in the legs, and aching pain, tired and heavy leg feeling, persistent itching or irritated rash on the legs, legs ulcers or open wounds that won’t heal, bulging veins, or small, spider looking veins. You should always seek the advice of a doctor if any of these symptoms are present.

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Medical compression stockings provide graduated compression to the leg (meaning it is highest at the ankle and gradually decreases going up the leg), helping to decrease the swelling or pooling of fluids. These stockings are worn daily and come in a variety of styles and colors.

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I thought the following article was pretty interesting for showing how the idea behind compression stockings has benefits other than just treating varicose veins.

Athletes hope stockings can improve blood flow

By Joannie Dobbs and Alan Titchenal

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Oct 19, 2009
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If your excuse for not exercising is sore muscles, then Kona Ironman athletes might have a solution for you. Ultra-athletes recently have been seen wearing knee-high elastic compression stockings. These stockings are similar to hosiery worn for medical purposes used to improve blood circulation.

A variety of medical conditions can result in problems with veins returning blood properly up the legs. Conditions commonly treated with compression include varicose veins, lower leg edema and blood clots in the leg. The stockings do not eliminate varicose veins or other vein problems, but they do help to reduce the swelling, aching and feelings of heaviness that individuals with serious varicose veins can experience.

Question: Why are athletes wearing support hose?

Answer: Ironman athletes claim that the stockings enhance their performance and recovery from exercise.

Q: How do compression stockings help recovery?

A: Compression stockings are designed to assist blood flow out of the lower legs in people with normal or impaired blood circulation. When the veins in the calf are not working well, fluid can collect in body tissues and cause edema, swelling from fluid accumulation. This, in turn, can cause muscle soreness. The gentle pressure of compression stockings combined with leg muscle activity is thought to assist the flow of tissue fluid and blood into deep veins and enhance blood flow up the limb.

Q: What evidence supports the use of compression stockings by athletes?

A: There is certainly some scientific support and plenty of athlete testimonials that tout the benefits of compression stocking use in sports. But, since elite athletes have healthy blood vessels, it might seem surprising that compression stockings could provide any benefit.

However, some studies have reported that wearing compression stockings during exercise enhances blood flow to and from the lower leg and enhances the performance of some types of exercise. Although several studies have reported no performance benefit from compression stockings, these studies frequently reported that athletes experienced reduced muscle soreness and recovered from exercise more quickly.

Q: Will high-tech hosiery make the difference between you winning or losing a race?

A: Based on this year’s Kona Ironman, apparently not. Male and female winners were not wearing them.

Q: Are there other uses of compression stockings?

A: The use of compression stockings by elite athletes has piqued a growing interest in further research on their potential benefits in and out of the sport. Another use of compression stockings could be to decrease the risk of blood clot formation during air travel. Research supports the use of compression stockings during long plane rides to decrease the probability of blood clot formation.

Q: Will compression hose become the next fitness fashion statement?

A: The stockings do come in a variety of types and are designed to provide variable levels of compression. With regards to a fashion statement, the jury is still out.

Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S., and Alan Titchenal, Ph.D., C.N.S., are nutritionists in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dobbs also works with University Health Services.

If your excuse for not exercising is sore muscles, then Kona Ironman athletes might have a solution for you. Ultra-athletes recently have been seen wearing knee-high elastic compression stockings. These stockings are similar to hosiery worn for medical purposes used to improve blood circulation.
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A variety of medical conditions can result in problems with veins returning blood properly up the legs. Conditions commonly treated with compression include varicose veins, lower leg edema and blood clots in the leg. The stockings do not eliminate varicose veins or other vein problems, but they do help to reduce the swelling, aching and feelings of heaviness that individuals with serious varicose veins can experience.

Question: Why are athletes wearing support hose?

Answer: Ironman athletes claim that the stockings enhance their performance and recovery from exercise.

Q: How do compression stockings help recovery?

A: Compression stockings are designed to assist blood flow out of the lower legs in people with normal or impaired blood circulation. When the veins in the calf are not working well, fluid can collect in body tissues and cause edema, swelling from fluid accumulation. This, in turn, can cause muscle soreness. The gentle pressure of compression stockings combined with leg muscle activity is thought to assist the flow of tissue fluid and blood into deep veins and enhance blood flow up the limb.

Q: What evidence supports the use of compression stockings by athletes?

A: There is certainly some scientific support and plenty of athlete testimonials that tout the benefits of compression stocking use in sports. But, since elite athletes have healthy blood vessels, it might seem surprising that compression stockings could provide any benefit.

However, some studies have reported that wearing compression stockings during exercise enhances blood flow to and from the lower leg and enhances the performance of some types of exercise. Although several studies have reported no performance benefit from compression stockings, these studies frequently reported that athletes experienced reduced muscle soreness and recovered from exercise more quickly.

Q: Will high-tech hosiery make the difference between you winning or losing a race?

A: Based on this year’s Kona Ironman, apparently not. Male and female winners were not wearing them.

Q: Are there other uses of compression stockings?

A: The use of compression stockings by elite athletes has piqued a growing interest in further research on their potential benefits in and out of the sport. Another use of compression stockings could be to decrease the risk of blood clot formation during air travel. Research supports the use of compression stockings during long plane rides to decrease the probability of blood clot formation.

Q: Will compression hose become the next fitness fashion statement?

A: The stockings do come in a variety of types and are designed to provide variable levels of compression. With regards to a fashion statement, the jury is still out.

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You may have spider veins or you may just think you have but do you know anything about them? One thing that’s for sure is that if you’ve got spider veins you probably wish you hadn’t.

Dealing with any medical condition – however seemingly trivial – is much easier if you know something about it. Knowledge is power in this situation. So, if you’ve got them – here’s ten essential things you need to know about spider veins:

1. Why are they called ‘spider veins’?

The medical name for spider veins is ‘telangiectasias’ – so enough said really. Most people find it a whole lot easier to call them spider veins or thread veins. Spider veins show up as a network of thin blue or red veins just below the skin’s surface on the legs and face. The pattern made by spider veins resembles the branches of a tree or the structure of a spider’s web – hence the name most of us use.

2. How common are spider veins?

Spider veins are extremely common affecting an amazing one in four women at some stage in their lives, and a slightly lower percentage of men.

3. When am I most likely to get them?

Although they can affect people at all stages of life, spider veins are more common after mid-life when the skin becomes thinner and loses some of its collagen allowing the spider veins to show through.

4. What causes spider veins?

Spider veins result from weak vein valves which cause blood to leak back into the vein and collect there. It is this leaked blood that becomes visible and unsightly to the naked eye.

No one knows the exact causes of spider veins but there are several factors that may make it more likely for you to develop them including: age, genes, pregnancy and hormonal changes, excess weight, standing or sitting for long periods and unprotected sun exposure. Of all these– your genes are the single most important determining factor. If your mum or dad had spider veins you are much more likely to develop them yourself.

5. Why are legs most affected?

The force of gravity, the pressure of bearing your body weight and the hard task of carrying blood from the bottom of the body up to the heart make legs the main area of risk for spider veins. Compared to the work done by other veins in the body, your leg veins have a really tough job to do to get the blood back up to your heart. Leg veins have to endure huge pressure and it can simply prove to be too strong for the valve mechanism to cope with.

6. Are they the same as varicose veins?

No – varicose veins are a completely different condition. Varicose vein sufferers do not necessarily get spider veins and vice versa.

7. Are spider veins dangerous?

No, spider veins are not dangerous. Of course, they can be a source of anxiety and may affect your quality of life and your self-confidence. At the very least they are unsightly and it is for this reason alone that so many women want to get rid of them.

8. Can spider veins be treated?

Yes, spider veins can be treated – nowadays with a high degree of success.

9. What’s the best method of treating spider veins?

There are two main methods of treating spider veins. The first involves treatment with lasers in which strong bursts of light are used to destroy the blocked veins. The second treatment method is scelerotherapy which involves the injection of a solution into the veins causing the vein to seal shut and die. Both these methods involve visits to a clinic for treatment by a medical professional. Otherwise home remedies are available for the treatment of spider veins using creams and lotions which can be bought on the internet.

10. Will spider veins come back after treatment?

Current treatments for spider veins have a very high success rate although there is no guarantee that they won’t return. Watching weight, eating a varied diet high in antioxidants and taking plenty of leg exercise can all help prevent any recurrence.

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Question: Someone has been taking birth control pills for the past several years, and they see the formation of spider veins in their legs. The condition seems to be getting worse. Are these spider veins caused by the pill and will they lead to a high risk for varicosities? The personal information and family history is not: overweight, exercise every day, only family history is a grandmother on my father’s side. Is the pill causing this and will these minor spider veins disappear when the pill is stopped.

Answer: The pill sometimes increases spider veins in about 10-20% of women. They likely will not vanish; but, you might do better with a lower estrogen formatted pill.

http://www.druginfonet.com

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