Varicose Vein Treatment: Does Massage Help?

If you have varicose veins, the answer to the question, "Does massage help with varicose vein treatment?" really depends on how you define "varicose vein treatment." Do you mean the type of treatment that reduces and soothes symptoms? Or... do you mean the type of treatment that actually cures the underlying cause of your symptoms? With this distinction in mind, let's explore this topic in more depth, and in doing so, answer this frequently asked question.

Are There Any Concerns About Massage On Legs With Varicose Veins?

In a word, yes! There's always a concern about causing further damage to varicose veins, especially if they are bulging from the skin. In fact, some professional massage therapists will not massage legs that have varicose veins, particularly if they are protruding. Others will only massage lightly around varicose veins. This is because most massage therapists have been taught that varicose veins are more vulnerable to damage due to the weakened vessel walls. Therefore, most are taught not to apply direct pressure to these weakened varicose veins, especially severe ones. Basically, they want to avoid hurting you. 

HOWEVER, there are specialized types of massage that can help you a great deal with your varicose vein symptoms. In particular, massage, if done correctly, can help reduce Leg swelling (edema) and the dull aching pain that is so often associated with edema. Just keep in mind, that you should be picky about the massage therapist you choose and it's best if they have special training. If you want to massage yourself or a loved one with varicose veins to help manage symptoms both before and after clinical varicose vein treatment, you'll want to make sure you learn how to perform the massage in a way that will not hurt you or your loved one and will actually improve the symptoms.

IMPORTANT NOTE: generally speaking, it is not a good idea to massage your legs, or have them massaged, immediately after a clinical varicose vein treatment procedure like sclerotherapy of laser treatment, i.e. during your recovery period. Further, if you want to begin or continue therapeutic massage after varicose vein treatment at a reputable vein clinic like Metro Vein Centers, you should ALWAYS ALWAYS check with your vein doctor first.

What Type of Massage Is Best For Someone With Varicose Veins?

The best type of massage for someone with varicose veins is the type that manually drains the lymphatic system and increases circulation in the legs. There are special types of massage strokes and methods for this type of massage. So, you'll want to so locate a massage therapist who has specialized training in this and who has experience performing this type of massage on others with varicose veins.

It's probably best to get a referral rather than try to find a specialized massage therapist all by yourself. Check with a reputable varicose vein treatment center like Metro Vein Centers, a phlebologist (vein doctor), or a certified lymphedema therapist. First, they can advise you on whether or not they think massage will help you. Second, they are likely in touch with massage therapists with the specific training and experience in circulatory massage and manual lymphatic massage that you need to be safe and effective. They may also be able to recommend someone who can teach you (and potentially your partner) how to do this type of massage at home.

Massage Cannot Cure Varicose Veins But It Can Help

Varicose veins occur when the vein walls become weak and the vein valves no longer function at their full capacity. This causes blood and fluid to pool in the legs, especially near the ankles. This pooling of blood then puts extra pressure on your veins, which in turn causes even more damage to your vein walls and vein values. It's a vicious circle of events unfortunately!

Once this type of damage occurs in your veins, even if massage does improve your circulation and helps drain the excess fluids in your tissues, it cannot fix, i.e. actually cure, the veins that are already damaged. To do this, you will need to have to have varicose vein treatment such as micro laser treatment or sclerotherapy in a reputable vein clinic like Metro Vein Centers. 

In fact, even clinical treatments do not actually repair the damage veins. Rather, these procedures very precisely close (ablate) the portions of veins that are damaged so hey don't cause further damage. This allows normal flow can be restored through other alternate veins! Don't worry, there are so many extra veins in the legs, there is built in redundancy, so your blood will simply find a new and better pathway.

Now, having said the above, if you get the right kind of massage, i.e. a massage specifically tailored to increasing your leg circulation without harming any existing varicose veins, massage can be a very effective way of reducing swelling (edema), aching, stinging, cramping, and other painful symptoms of varicose veins. 

Regular massage, if done correctly, along with regular leg elevation and exercise, can also help prevent the formation of new varicose veins. At the very minimum, regular massage can help slow down the formation of new varicose veins and delay the critical need for clinical varicose vein treatment procedures.