Our clinic offers prescription compression stockings that are measured to fit to help relief venous insufficiency caused issues such as varicose veins and edema.

How Veins in lower leg and Feet Work - Venous Circulation 

• If any one of the following components of venous circulation is not working properly, then it can lead to swelling in feet, amongst other signs venous insufficiency 

• Leg muscle pump: leg muscles, particularly the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) have a muscle pump action. When the muscles contract, they have a muscle pumping action which increases intra abdominal and thoracic pressures to allow blood to travel from the feet back towards the heart 

• Valves within perforating veins close during muscle contraction to prevent backflow of blood from deep veins back in the superficial veins 

• Valves within perforating veins open during muscle relaxation to allow flow of blood into deep veins from superficial veins

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Pathophysiology of Venous insufficiency 

1. Valve dysfunction 

2. Calf muscle pump action failure 

3. Obstruction of veins

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Causes of Edema (swelling)

1. Standing or sitting for too long - for instance, people may find that if they travel long distances, their feet and ankle become swollen 

2. Injury and calf muscle weakness

3. Neuromuscular issues 

4. Diabetes

5. Kidney Disease 

6. Heart failure 

7. Lymphatic Issues can lead to lymphedema 

8. Medications such as calcium channel blockers, steroids, hormone therapies (estrogen, testosterone), NSAIDs

9. Pregnancy

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Causes of Venous Insufficiency

1. Prolonged sitting or standing 

2. obesity 

3. Genetics predisposition due to valve dysfunction 

4. phlebitis (inflammation of veins - thrombophlebitis) 

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Signs of Venous Problems 

1. Edema (Swelling in legs, ankle, feet)

2. Varicose veins 

3. Telangiectasia and Reticular Veins (spider veins) 

4. Night cramping and pain 

5. Hemosiderosis 

6. Stasis Dermatitis 

7. Lipodermatosclerosis 

8. Atrophie blanche 

9. Venous ulcers

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Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) 

• blood clot in a deep vein 

• considered a medical emergency as the DVT can dislodge and travel towards the lungs, leading to a pulmonary embolism where an artery gets blocked

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Treatment

1. Exercise: calf muscle strengthening helps reduce edema and venous insufficiency. Walking also helps tremendously

2. Compression stockings act as a calf muscle pump to apply pressure on calf muscle and help pump blood back towards the heart and reduce swelling (Graduated Compression Therapy) 

3. Surgical Options 

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 Seek immediate advise from Chiropodists at Podera Health if you suffer from this issue!