You might experience leg pain for several reasons, but it happens to be one of the first signs of vein disease. When left untreated, it can lead to dangerous complications like leg ulcers or deep vein thrombosis.
Dr. Eric Mai at STL Vein & Cosmetics is a board-certified physician specializing in diagnosing and treating vein disease. With two offices in St. Louis, Missouri, our expert team can uncover the underlying cause of leg discomfort to relieve ongoing pain. Read on to find out more about vein-related leg pain and five ways to treat it.
There are many root causes of leg pain. You experience leg pain when vascular disease or injuries interrupt or damage the communication between nerves and blood vessels. This kind of damage stems from conditions like arthritis or tendonitis, or an injury. But vein disease also causes ongoing leg pain because of inflammation. Damaged veins can lead to spider veins, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, or deep vein thrombosis.
Treatment for your leg pain depends on the severity of your symptoms and the underlying cause of your leg pain. Treatments include:
Dr. Mai may treat your vein-related pain using visual sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy works by injecting a solution directly into the vein, causing scarring, which then forces your body to reroute blood through healthier veins. Diverting the blood flow relieves leg pain by collapsing the problem vein and reabsorbing it into local tissue. Visual sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment for visible veins on your skin’s surface and sometimes more prominent veins as well.
Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy with Varithena™ is a highly-specialized method for treating painful varicose veins beneath the skin. Dr. Mai injects a unique foam into the diseased veins guided by ultrasound. The sclerosant agent (foam) causes the vein to collapse and disappear.
Endovenous laser treatment treats larger varicose veins in the legs using a laser fiber that travels through a catheter into the vein. This leg pain treatment is the gold standard for saphenous vein reflux (when valves in the saphenous veins become damaged or blocked), using the laser to burn the interior of a problematic vein. Laser therapy is a gentle and painless alternative to conventional treatments for varicose veins.
Radiofrequency venous ablation is a minimally invasive varicose vein treatment that can help with ongoing leg pain. This procedure uses radiofrequency energy that causes heat. A catheter sends the heat into your vein, damaging tissue and creating scarring that closes off blood flow from the vein.
Dr. Mai might begin treatment by recommending lifestyle changes that improve leg circulation and reduce pain. His recommendations can include anti-inflammatory medications, compression stockings, or regular exercise.
Our team relieves leg pain using innovative treatments best suited to your needs. You should always speak to a doctor about chronic leg discomfort due to the increased risk of thrombosis and embolism.
Don’t let vein-related leg pain affect your quality of life. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mai and his team of leg pain experts at STL Vein & Cosmetics. Call the office or book an appointment online today.
