Beating That Pain in the Vein

Heather Anderson thought she was improving her health by taking up running, but getting fit led to unexpected and excruciating pain in her legs. The mother of two from Albin, Texas, thought she’d have to give up exercise and her new healthy lifestyle — until she solved her underlying health issue with the help of a new medical procedure.

Anderson began running with friends after her children were grown. The immediate results were impressive. She maintained a lower weight, got stronger, and increased her stamina — all welcome changes for the 46-year-old. But pain kept derailing her progress.

“If you mention hospitals or surgery, I get goose bumps, I’m so fearful about it.”

She was running an average of two 5K races a month. She was also working out at the gym with cardio exercise, weightlifting, and spinning classes when her legs mysteriously began swelling. One day in the gym, she noticed someone staring at her legs. She looked down to find them full of blood and throbbing.

Her varicose veins had reacted to her workout.

Painful knees and fatigue stalked her, too. The swelling and pressure led to even more pain, and she experienced an electrical jolt-like jumpiness in her legs at night, which prevented sleep. She worried she might be burning out on running, which she and her husband had grown to rely on for stress relief.

“It had become part of our life, how we live,” she told LifeZette. “The realization that I might not be able to do this made me gasp.”

She thought chronic venous insufficiency, the medical name for her condition, was benign and painless. From a previous appointment with her doctor, she thought the only solution for varicose veins was an invasive procedure called vein stripping, which involves cutting the leg and pulling out the entire vein.

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“That sounded barbaric to me,” she said. “I was a chicken. If you mention hospitals or surgery, I get goose bumps, I’m so fearful about it.”

Easier, practically pain-free solutions are available, according to Dr. Kathleen Gibson, a board-certified vascular surgeon practicing at Lake Washington Vascular in Bellevue, Washington.

“Unfortunately, a primary care physician can dismiss vein problems as being a ‘cosmetic problem,’ even if they are causing significant symptoms and pain,” Gibson told LifeZette.

Both men and women suffer from vein problems, which can interfere with quality of life and ability to work. Early symptoms include aching, throbbing, itching, swelling, and fatigue. More advanced vein problems include leg swelling, changes in the color of the skin in the ankle and lower calf, and even painful wounds in the lower leg.

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Laser treatments have replaced many vein-stripping procedures, but results are varied. The newest procedures are even less invasive. Anderson was treated with “VenaSeal,” which uses medical adhesive threaded into the diseased vein through a catheter and is performed under a local anesthesia.

According to Gibson, the adhesive is formulated so it will not travel in the circulation, and it sets up very quickly, essentially gluing the diseased vein shut.

She suggests patients look for a “vein expert” with an association to the American College of Phlebology or the American Venous Forum.

“I can do speed drills and work on improving speed.”

Anderson watched her procedure on a screen and felt pressure, but no pain. Afterwards, she sported two simple band-aids when she walked out of the clinic after the procedure. Her spider veins disappeared immediately. A week later, she was walking on a track and, 10 days later, she participated in a spin class and ran 1.5 miles on a treadmill.

Feeling great relief, Anderson was able to return to activity that had grown meaningful in her life. Not only does running represent better health, but it’s a social outlet, since she runs with women who have become her friends.

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“Now, I’m not limited by legs,” she said. “I can do speed drills and work on improving speed. I have peace of mind [that] my body is sound. There’s nothing that is going to get in my way.”

Pat Barone is a professional credentialed coach and author of the Own Every Bite! bodycentric re-education program for mindful and intuitive eating; she helps clients heal food addictions.