In an effort to find relief from the leg pain and aching with a vein condition, many people will sit down in a recliner and elevate their legs, especially in the evenings. Some will lie on the floor and prop their leg up against a wall or couch. To further help alleviate the pain, you can apply either heat or ice to your leg. The question is, which works better? Does heat provide quick relief, or is it better to use ice?
The answer is variable. Both have their merits and both can be effective. My recommendation based on experience is that ice tends to bring better relief from pain, but the results are variable depending on whom I talk to.
When circulation isn’t working, as with a vein condition, it causes inflammation in your body. Inflammation builds up and one of the effects of inflammation is that it causes the circulation to become leaky. Fluid leaks out of the veins and into the tissues of the body. If you add heat, more blood flow goes to the area and it can cause more symptoms. For that reason, heat can actually make it worse. People commonly report that the heat feels good while they are in the bath or with a heating pad on, but as time goes on it begins to hurt more. It feels good initially, then tends to hurt more.
Ice will tend to help with veins. The cold will constrict your leg veins, and the tightening of the vein forces the valves together preventing the backflow of blood to your lower legs. However, using ice is logistically challenging. It’s difficult to ice your whole leg. You’ll have to prepare multiple bags of ice, lie down and place them along your lower leg. It’s best also not to place the ice directly on your skin, but use a thin cloth as a buffer between your skin and the ice.
You won’t know which option is going to help the most until you try them both. If one helps better than the other, use that one. You may also find relief by taking an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. You can also try wearing compression stockings during the day to prevent the leg pain from getting so bad. Put them on first thing in the morning and wear them until you go to bed at night. Lastly, if you sit or stand a lot during the day, schedule frequent breaks to walk around. The muscle movement from walking will stimulate circulation in your lower legs.