It’s not easy to wear a little summer dress with legs as big as poles or unsightly varicose veins without complex. Fortunately, there are treatments. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Lymphatic drainage
This gentle massage of the legs aims to unclog the tissues and empty the lymphatic vessels. Result: a reduction in painful and unsightly swelling. To avoid damage to the lymph nodes, lymphatic drainage should be performed by a therapist trained in this technique. To find a professional: Some thalassotherapy centers (Serge Blanco in Hendaye, Le Royal Barriere in La Baule) also do it.
The +: the relief is almost immediate.
“The cold has a vasoconstrictor effect which stimulates the venous circulation”, indicates Marianne Estève, physiotherapist at the Aix-les-Bains thermal baths. All treatments that consist of applying cold to the legs (if possible in an elevated position) are therefore beneficial: applications of thermal water compresses in Aix-les-Bains or frigitherapy at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz thalassotherapy center. , Grande Motte or Concarneau.
The +: edemas on the feet and ankles deflate noticeably.
The -: the effect is short-lived (1 to 2 days).
The pressotherapy
Its principle is simple: large boots that go up to the top of the thighs gradually inflate from the bottom up to bring up the blood that stagnates in the legs.
The +: it also acts on aqueous cellulite.
The -: improvement only occurs if the sessions are regular (1x / week for 3 months).
Les cures thermales
Venous insufficiency is one of the therapeutic orientations of hydrotherapy recognized by social security. Under-immersion shower, walkway, Scottish shower (alternating hot and cold) … Various draining and decongestant treatments follow one another during the three weeks of cures (Balaruc-les-Bains, Jonzac, Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Aix-les -Baths…)
The +: they permanently improve venous insufficiency and associated pain, according to the Thermes & Veins study carried out in 2014.
The -: you have to be able to free yourself for 3 weeks, not easy.
Sclerotherapy
deal for getting rid of superficial varicose veins, it is based on a doctor’s injection of a product that clogs the diseased vein. This gradually becomes sclerotic, then eventually disappears.
The +: a new method consists in replacing the injected liquid with a foam which obliterates the varicose vein. The recurrences are less.
The -: bruises can occur. You should neither expose yourself to the sun nor take a plane the following days.
Laser treatment
Less aggressive than surgery, this technique removes a large varicose vein along its entire length. The phlebologist introduces a laser fiber into the blood vessel at the knee, then moves back inside to the crease in the groin. By removing the fiber, it produces laser shots that burn the walls.
The +: the treatment, performed under local anesthesia, is painless.
The -: brown marks may persist on the skin.
Web
