Varicose Veins Explained

When the doctor looks at varicose veins they tell you that the valves failed in your leg or legs. Let's start there.

Inside veins there is a one way valve so that the blood does not back flow down. You remember from other posts that blood going back to the heart is pumped by muscle contraction and the movement of the fibula, non-weight bearing bone of the lower leg. It does a pumping action.

As the blood is pumped up the leg the valves keep it from going back down. The valves failing is a result of other factors. When a valve fails it is because the vein distends and the valves no longer sit together to do their job.

From my perspective there are several reasons why there is back flow. Could be one of the reasons, or several.

—The most common is the pelvic floor has tension and is crimping on the major vein that goes through the groin. If one leg is worse than the other, this means that the pelvic floor on that side has a bigger compromise. Could be from an inguinal hernia. Or a direct injury to the side, such as fell on a balance beam on the left pubic bone when they were a kid. Could be a pelvic distortion that over time tightened the left side so much that it tightened the pelvic floor on side this more. You get the picture.

—Liver congestion. The liver is a bag of blood. So if it is congested it can put back pressure into the legs, resulting in varicosities. Or the liver is congested...the vena cava, the main vein returning to the heart from the lower half of the body, runs directly behind the liver and can be compressed giving a back pressure.

—Last but not least is the mesentery. The bag that the small intestines are in is also a bag of blood. if there is inflammation or bloating in the small intestines this can create back pressure and distend the veins in the lower leg.

Once the vein has expanded there is no correction to bring it back to normal. But I feel it is important no matter what kind of medical correction one does that they need to look at the bigger picture to relieve the original or core issue.

Even if one strips the veins or injects them, the pressure is still coming from above and needs to be normalized.

—Leigh