Can leg cramps be a symptom of varicose veins?

Many factors  can cause painful leg cramps, such as dehydration, strenuous activity, or extreme heat. But what about varicose veins?

Leg cramps, especially at night, can be one of the many symptoms of varicose veins.

At VeinSolutions in Austin and Georgetown, we treat varicose veins all the time. It’s what we do.

To learn more about how leg cramps can be one of the unfortunate side effects of varicose veins, it’s important to first understand what are varicose veins.

Varicose veins are thick, knotted, rope-like structures formed under the skin known as varicosities. These abnormal vein structures prohibit blood from flowing properly to and from the heart causing it to pool (most often in the legs) and create a swollen, bulging appearance.  More than 35% of people in the United States (typically women) suffer from some type of varicose veins.

Why do varicose veins cause leg cramps?

If you wake up with tight calf muscle, or cramp, in the middle of the night, it could be the result of your varicose veins.  The blood that pools in varicose veins is deoxygenated blood that has not been properly pumped back up to the heart to be replenished with healthy oxygen. This blood instead is full of toxins which can leak out into the surrounding tissues causing painful muscle cramping and contractions.

How can you prevent leg cramps?

General ways to prevent any leg cramps include:

• Exercise regularly and stretch muscles so that they stay flexible
• Use heat therapy to keep muscles from tightening up via heating pads or warm baths at night
• Keep hydrated as water boosts circulation and helps to improve blood flow

Additionally, our team of board-certified vascular surgeons and vein specialists recommend trying one of the many effective and affordable treatment options for varicose vein removal in order to help minimize leg cramps and other painful varicose vein symptoms.

Treatments such as sclerotherapy and endovenous ablation are conveniently and efficiently performed in our vein treatment centers in Austin and Georgetown with little to no pain afterwards, and you can return home, and often back to work, right away.

Minimally invasive varicose vein surgery may offer the best results for our patients who do not respond well to other treatments.

Please visit us here to schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified specialists at VeinSolutions in Austin, or contact us at 512.452.VEIN (8346). For VeinSolutions in Georgetown, please contact us at 512-501-4287.

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