Venous insufficiency is a common cause of pain in the legs. This happens when your veins’ one-way valves fail after unchecked vein stretching. This causes venous blood to follow the flow of gravity down your leg, thus leading to increased pressure in the veins of the leg. This is referred to as chronic venous hypertension, and it is most likely the reason for leg pain associated with venous insufficiency. If left untreated, your veins may develop an inflammatory condition that causes even more pain and tenderness in your leg’s soft tissue.
Another potential reason for pain or tenderness in your leg(s) could be a result of vein clotting, also known as thrombosis. There are two types of thrombosis: (1) superficial thrombosis- inflammatory changes and clotting of the veins of the skin and fatty tissues, and (2) deep vein thrombosis- clotting of the veins of leg muscles. Venous thrombosis is a serious issue that should be treated immediately. If not treated in a timely manner, the condition may worsen and cause increased pain, vein valve damage, and/or clots that could travel to the lungs.
There are many potential causes for the leg pain you may be experiencing, and this could lead to a possible misdiagnosis. Diagnoses that are commonly mistaken for venous insufficiency range from bone or joint disorders, arthritis, disc degeneration that causes nerve compression, neuropathy, infection, the blockage of arteries preventing blood from reaching the leg, or other physical trauma. Another common misdiagnosis for leg pain is Fibromyalgia.
Despite how common venous insufficiency is, many patients are misdiagnosed if they do not obviously appear to have large, varicose veins. This is why it is vital to have a venous ultrasound exam completely to truly know without a doubt that your pain is not caused by varicose veins. A simple venous thrombus check is not enough to rule out the possibility of varicose veins alone. Therefore, if you have pain or tenderness in your legs, ensure that you have checked every possible reason for the discomfort before pursuing a specific treatment plan. We at Refine Vein Center recommend having a complete diagnostic venous color duplex ultrasound exam, including testing for venous insufficiencies, to know if you have a venous disease that is the cause of your pain and discomfort.
Contact our office at 615.716.VEIN to schedule an appointment today.
