Chronic venous insufficiency, could it be one of the missing pieces in the puzzle of treating pain?

Pain is a common complaint among patients seeking medical care.If left un-treated,pain can become chronic,significantly affecting patients’quality of life.An accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause of pain is crucial for effective treatment.Chronic venous insufficiency(CVI)is frequently overlooked by pain physicians.Moreover,many pain physicians lack sufficient knowledge about CVI.CVI is a common condition resulting from malfunctioning or damaged valves in lower limb veins.Symptoms of CVI,ranging from mild to severe,include pain,heaviness,fatigue,itching,swelling,skin color changes,and ulcers in the lower limbs.Recently,it has become more widely known that these symptoms can be attributed to CVI.Even slight or mild CVI can cause related symptoms.Pain physicians primarily consider neuromusculoskeletal disorders when assessing patients with leg pain,and often neglect the possibility of CVI.In clinical practice,when pain physicians encounter patients with unresolved leg pain,they must assess whether the patients exhibit symptoms of CVI and conduct tests to differ-entiate CVI from other potential causes.

Double-Blind, Parallel Group Study to Compare the Clinical Effectiveness of Calcium Dobesilate 500 mg BID vs. Calcium Dobesilate LP 1 g OD, in Patients with Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the Lower Limbs

Background: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) describes a condition that affects the venous system of the lower extremities due to venous hypertension (VH. The prevalence is between 5% - 30%. CVI is associated with older age, smoking, lower extremity trauma, presence of an arteriovenous shunt, and elevated estrogen levels. All patients should be initially treated with conservative management. Venoactive drugs like calcium dobesilate are useful. Objectives: The primary objective compared the clinical improvement in patients with CVI, grades 0 - 3 of the CEAP classification of chronic venous disease, produced by two formulations of calcium dobesilate: calcium dobesilate LP 1 g OD vs calcium dobesilate 500 mg BID, immediate release. The secondary objective assessed the side effects of both formulations. Method: All patients took one tablet and one capsule at 7 am, and one capsule at 7 pm, for 8 weeks. One group received dobesilate 1 g OD and the other group received dobesilate 500 md BID. They were evaluated after 15, 30 and 60 days of treatment, using the symptom evaluation scale. Results: In both groups, there was a significant decrease in the symptom score after 15 days. Four patients in the Dobesilate OD group: had adverse effects, which did not require suspension of treatment. In the BID dobesilate group, there was one therapeutic failure, and one case of gastric discomfort. Conclusions: Prolonged-release Calcium dobesilate 1 g OD is as effective as calcium dobesilate 500 mg BID for the treatment of patients with chronic venous insufficiency.

Application of the preventive treatment theory of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency of lower extremity

Chronic venous insufficiency is characterized by high incidence,difficult treatment and high recurrence rate.Traditional Chinese Medicine Preventive Treatment Theory is one of the important core contents in the theory of TCM.By using the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preventive Treatment,using the theory of“prevention before illness,prevention the disease continues to change and prevention repeated when the disease has been cured”,can reduce the incidence rate effectively,improve the effect of clinical treatment,it is also to enrich and develop the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preventive Treatment.

Sclerotherapy as the Only Treatment for Varicose Veins

Background: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a widespread and underdiagnosed condition that affects more than 20% of the general population. The most prevalent manifestation of CVI is varicose veins (VVs), which affect up to 25% of women and 15% of males. Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure used primarily in treating telangiectasias, reticular veins, and small varicose veins. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various sclerotherapy techniques in treating varicose veins-related complications. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational interventional study at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) from September 2022 to January 2023. The study involved patients with lower limb varicose veins, assessing their clinical response and monitoring potential treatment complications. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 21.0. Results: Of 567 patients with diagnosed VVs, 544 were female (95.94%), and 23 were male (4.06%). The primary complaints were pain and cosmetic concerns. Treatments included Foam Aethoxysklerol® 3% (polidocanol) and Micro-foam Aethoxysklerol® 1%. Improvement in symptoms was reported by 538 patients (94.89%). The most common adverse event was hyperpigmentation, reported in 120 patients (21.16%), followed by post-procedural pain in 104 patients (18.34%). Notably, one patient (0.18%) experienced deep vein thrombosis (DVT), one (0.18%) reported telangiectatic matting, and there were two cases (0.36%) of visual disturbances and one allergic reaction. Conclusion: Sclerotherapy is effective and safe for treating VVs with minimal adverse events. It is a viable standalone treatment, reducing complications linked to other methods like radiofrequency ablation and surgery.