Is It Safe To Massage Varicose Veins?
Published December 19, 2022
Apart from their unsettling appearance, varicose veins can be quite painful.
They can also cause troublesome issues like irritation, burning, and throbbing. That’s why it’s common to massage their varicose veins instinctively, in hopes of easing the discomfort.
It may seem like what you’re doing is great, but if you look up varicose veins, you’ll find numerous headlines about massage not being an effective treatment for varicose veins.
However, being ineffective doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe. These are two different things, though it does beg the question, “Is it safe to massage varicose veins?” Read on to find out.
Is It Safe To Massage Varicose Veins?
In some cases, it’s safe to massage varicose veins, but it also can be harmful.
It’s safe if it’s just a light massage, but if it’s the type of massage that puts too much pressure, it’s likely going to be harmful. To explain further, it’s best to learn more about varicose veins.
Varicose veins often take place when your venous walls are too weak. For your reference, venous walls, or valves, are the walls that prevent your blood from flowing backward.
They’re essentially one-way walls that allow blood to flow through one side, not the other. When these walls weaken, naturally, their functionality may decrease, and blood may end up flowing backward. When that happens, the blood would often accumulates in one area.
The blood pool inside your body results in varicose veins.
Going back to the question, it’s safe to massage varicose veins because a massage should alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by the health problem. However, that’s the extent of its benefits. You cannot completely cure or treat varicose veins simply by massaging.
When you try too hard to do so, it can lead to further problems. To be precise, if you put too much pressure on the walls, they may burst since they’re already weak enough as they are.
Put simply; you can still massage varicose veins but take the necessary precautions.
Best Practices To Massage Varicose Veins
If you want to massage varicose veins but don’t know how to, the following tips should help:
Don’t Do Anything Fancy
While it can be tempting to try and use fancy massage techniques, it’s best if you stick to just rubbing your varicose veins. That’s because techniques would likely be too complex, meaning there’s more room for mistakes. Moreover, many techniques often apply pressure to the veins.
These are two things you don’t need during your massage session. Therefore, it would be ideal if you stick to just rubbing the varicose veins. It should alleviate your pain without issue.
When Using Devices, Avoid High-Intensity Settings
If you intend to use a massage device, then you should have several options for intensity. To ensure your veins aren’t compromised during the massage, avoid high-intensity settings.
Rely on a Professional
An amateur at massage can make numerous mistakes during the massage process. On the other hand, professionals should know a thing or two about handling varicose veins.
They should know how to best massage varicose veins, so it’s best to rely on these experts.
Don’t Focus on Just One Area
There will always be a specific area that, when massaged, brings the most satisfaction and relief. While it’s tempting to just keep massaging that area, it’s not an advisable practice.
If you focus on only one area, you increase the chances of putting too much pressure on the venous walls in that region. For that reason, you must massage different parts of your body.
Again, it’s important to understand that even with the help of these tips, you can’t treat varicose veins with just a simple massage. If you want treatment, you’d have to rely on other methods.
How To Treat Varicose Veins
There are generally two methods to treat varicose veins. Let’s start with the most basic one.
Surgery
Surgery is the most legitimate method to treat varicose veins. It’s particularly useful if the varicose veins are already severe since, at that point, simple solutions wouldn’t suffice.
Your healthcare provider should provide suitable surgery procedures. But for your reference, the options typically include laser treatment, sclerotherapy, and high litigation, to name a few.
Compression Stockings
Compression stockings are essentially stockings that constantly squeeze the legs. Its main purpose is to put pressure on the veins in your legs to ensure the blood moves properly.
It practically reduces the possibility of blood pooling in one area, and it may also take care of any existing blood build-ups in the legs. It’s effective, but not as effective as surgical procedures.
Wrapping Up
It might be helpful in relieving pain and discomfort, but one must keep in mind that there are consequences if you massage varicose veins improperly. If you make a mistake, you may end up making the problem worse. With this guide, you can reduce the possibility of that happening.
It can be relaxing and comforting to massage varicose veins, but is it safe? Find out in this article.
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About The Author
Lenard Arceo is a professional blogger who is deeply passionate about health and beauty trends. Over the years, he has written articles on a myriad of topics that have helped millions of people.
