Varicose Veins

They are blood vessels which are enlarged or twisted.  It is common on the leg or feet area. Generally, the veins have a valve to prevent back-flow, called one-way valve. When the valves have problems, muscles or blood itself can allow blood to gather and make pools inside the vein. Therefore,  the veins tend to bulge or twist, which is known as varicose vein.^[2] 

 

Varicose veins are not dangerous themselves. It looks bad initially. However, they may cause the following symptoms^[1]

- aching, throbbing or burning leg pain

- itch, heaviness, cramping or restless legs

- darkening of the skin over your ankle, etc.

The worst comes when blood clots are developed, and it can be developed as a deep vein thrombosis. Very occasionally the clots can reach on lung, heart, brain, etc. 

 

The Treatment of Varicose Vein

There are a few treatment such as sclerotherapy, laser therapy, surgery.  You can talk to your GP or Specialist about this method if you are concerned about your varicose vein.

 

How Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can help

In the Oriental Medicine (Eastern Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine), the varicose veins are similar to a lump which can be created by damp-phlegm, blood statis, blood dryness, or turbid energy. 

- Blood stasis : painful lumb, occassionally it bleeds. The pain stays in a fixed location and become sharp pain. If blood circulation is not good, then nose bleeding or haemorroids can happens.

- Turbid Energy: When Energy flow in our body become weak or Turbidy Energy flows in our body, then our blood stagnates and we get symptoms of varicose vein.  Not only the symptoms of varicose vein, but also indigestion, low appetite, borborygmus sounds in the stomach, constipation or diarrhea, phlegm on the throat can happens together. 

- Damp-Phlegm : Damp-phlegm can happen when circulation in our body is not working well. It is related to Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Tripple Energiser functions.  When you have Phlegm-damp in your body, stomach prolapse or stomach extending can happen. Furthermore, circulation related issues such as digestion issue, respiratory issue, or urology issue.

- Liver Fire Blood dryness: When Liver Fire appears, the function of transportation of Energy gets problem. Futhermore the circulation of Blood related to Liver also get problem. Blood heat can be created and blood can stagnate in one place which causes varicose vein

Therefore, we use acupuncture and herbal medicine to remove Blood stasis, Turbid Energy, Damp-Phlegm, and Liver Fire Blood dryness.  However this treatment takes a long time and our body keep produce these causes.

 

 

Reference:

[1]: Varicose veins. (2019, July 9). Healthdirect.gov.au; Healthdirect Australia. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/varicose-veins

[2]: Slideshow: Spider and Varicose Veins: What Causes Them? What Can You Do? (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-spider-varicose-veins

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