Varicose Veins Treatment
Bulging, twisted veins that ache by evening aren’t just a cosmetic concern. They’re often a sign that the valves inside your leg veins aren’t working the way they should. At MVM Health, our vein specialists find the cause and offer minimally invasive varicose vein treatment in the office, with no hospital stay and no general anesthesia.
Book a visit with a vein specialist near you at one of our clinics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Arizona.
- Board-Certified Physicians
- Care Across Multiple Specialties
Meet Our Expert Team
Board Certified Expert
At MVM Health — Movement. Vitality. Medicine. — we are committed to providing exceptional pain, vein, and wellness services that empower individuals to reclaim their health and well-being. With our team of Harvard-trained experts, we strive to deliver transformative outcomes that restore comfort, confidence, and quality of life. MVM Health’s mission is to help every patient relieve discomfort, restore motion, and renew life.
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
TARIQ ALFARRA, DO
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL
Rishi Sheth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Carrie Ward, CNP
Franklin University
Kruti Solanki, CNP
Drexel University
Christy Daniels, CNP
Chamberlain University
Heerina Kittel, CNP
Maryville University
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
Vwaire Orhurhu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Mariam Salisu, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Peter Isaac, DO
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Ali Amin, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
THOMAS KHOURY, MD
Harvard Medical School
ANTHONY TURNER, MD
Yale School of Medicine
KIRAN C. TAMIRISA
Baylor College of Medicine
Rishi Seth, MD
University of Miami School of Medicine
Henry Onyeaka, MD, MPH
Harvard Medical School
Felicia Todd, CNP
Moravian College
Vic Urbano, CNP
Walden University
Jameela Azeem, CNP
Hofstra University
We work with a wide variety of insurance providers
and 100+ more
What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose Vein Treatment at MVM Health
Varicose veins are enlarged, swollen veins that look rope-like or twisted under the skin, usually on the legs. They’re often blue or purple and can cause aching, heaviness, swelling and itching.
Your leg veins carry blood back up to your heart, working against gravity. Small one-way valves inside each vein open to let blood move upward, then close to stop it from flowing back down. When those valves weaken, blood leaks backward and pools. The vein stretches under that pressure and becomes varicose.
Varicose veins are larger and deeper than spider veins, the small red or purple webs close to the skin’s surface. They’re also often a visible sign of chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can slowly progress if it isn’t treated.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
The direct cause is weak or damaged vein valves. Several things can wear those valves down over time:
Genetics
Varicose veins often run in families.
Hormones
Pregnancy, menopause and hormonal birth control can relax vein walls.
Pressure on the legs
Long hours standing or sitting slow the calf muscles that help push blood upward.
Age
Vein walls and valves naturally lose some strength with time.
Are You at Higher Risk for Varicose Veins?
Anyone can develop varicose veins, including people who are active and healthy. Women are affected more often, but men get them too, and varicose vein treatment for men works the same way. Use this quick self-check:
If you answered yes to several and you’ve noticed leg symptoms, a vein evaluation can tell you what’s going on.
Do you…
- Have a parent or sibling with varicose veins?
- Stand or sit for most of your workday?
- Smoke, or rarely get regular exercise?
- Take hormonal birth control or hormone therapy?
Are you…
- Pregnant, or have you had more than one pregnancy?
- Over age 50?
- Carrying extra weight?
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
Heavy, Tired Legs
When blood pools in the lower legs, they can feel heavy or achy, especially at the end of the day or after standing for a long time. Raising your legs often brings some relief.
Visible Bulging Veins
Enlarged veins appear as dark blue or purple, rope-like bulges just under the skin. Smaller spider veins may form nearby.
Burning, Itching and Night Cramps
Pressure in the veins can cause burning, warmth or itching around them. Many people also get leg cramps or restless legs at night.
Swelling and Skin Changes
Ongoing pressure can cause leg swelling around the ankles. Over time, skin near the ankles may darken, harden or, in advanced cases, develop slow-healing sores.
When to See a Vein Specialist
Book a vein evaluation if your symptoms keep coming back, affect your sleep or daily activities, or if you notice skin changes near your ankles. Varicose veins don’t go away on their own, and early care usually means simpler treatment.
Noticing changes in your legs? Book a vein evaluation
How Varicose Veins Are Diagnosed
The direct cause is weak or damaged vein valves. Several things can wear those valves down over time:
STEP 1 · YOUR VISIT
Your visit starts with a conversation about your symptoms, health history and any past vein care. Your provider then examines your legs, usually while you’re standing, when veins are easiest to see.
STEP 2 · DUPLEX ULTRASOUND
Most patients also have a venous duplex ultrasound. This painless scan shows blood flow and valve function, so your provider can find exactly which veins are leaking and plan treatment around them.
HOW TO PREPARE
To prepare, wear loose clothing, bring your insurance card and medication list, and write down questions for your provider, such as which treatment they recommend, what recovery involves and whether insurance is likely to cover it.
Varicose Vein Treatment Options
Most varicose veins today are treated without surgery. Each option closes or removes the faulty vein so blood reroutes through healthier veins nearby. Treatments are done in the office with ultrasound guidance, and most patients walk out the same day.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
A thin catheter delivers controlled heat to seal a large faulty vein from the inside.
Best for: larger varicose veins caused by venous insufficiency.
Recovery: walking the same day; compression stockings for a short time.
Laser Ablation
Laser varicose vein treatment uses a thin fiber placed inside the vein to close it with laser energy.
Best for: larger, straighter veins.
Recovery: walking the same day; some tenderness for a week or two.
VenaSeal®
Sometimes called varicose vein treatment using glue, VenaSeal seals the vein with a medical adhesive instead of heat.
Best for: larger veins in patients who qualify.
Recovery: often a quick return to routines.
ClariVein®
A rotating catheter tip combined with a medication closes the vein without heat.
Best for: certain larger veins.
Recovery: walking the same day.
Sclerotherapy
Small injections of a medicine (or foam) irritate the vein wall so it closes and fades.
Best for: smaller varicose veins and spider veins
Recovery: walking right away; treated veins fade over several weeks.
Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Bulging surface veins are removed through tiny skin nicks under local numbing.
Best for: large, rope-like veins near the surface.
Recovery:walking the same day; small marks fade over time.
Compression therapy Graduated compression stockings support blood flow and ease swelling. They don’t remove varicose veins, but they’re often recommended before and after treatment.
How Varicose Vein Treatment Works
Modern varicose vein treatment is very different from the vein stripping surgery of the past. Your provider numbs a small area, then uses ultrasound to guide a thin catheter, fiber or needle into the faulty vein. Heat, adhesive or medicine closes the vein from the inside. The body gradually absorbs the closed vein, and blood flows through healthier veins instead, which can ease pressure, swelling and aching.
1
Numb a small area
2
Guide in with ultrasound
3
Close the vein from inside
4
Blood reroutes to healthier veins
Can You Prevent Varicose Veins?
You can’t change your genes or age, but healthy habits can ease symptoms and may slow new veins from forming:
Walk or exercise regularly to keep your calf muscles pumping blood upward.
Take breaks to stand, stretch or walk if you sit or stand for long periods.
Raise your legs above heart level for a few minutes each evening.
Ask your provider whether compression stockings are right for you.
Keep a healthy weight. For some patients, a provider-guided medical weight loss program is part of their plan.
Varicose Vein Myths, Answered
The direct cause is weak or damaged vein valves. Several things can wear those valves down over time:
MYTH
Varicose veins will go away on their own
FACT
Once a vein’s valves fail, the vein doesn’t repair itself. Without treatment, varicose veins usually stay the same or slowly get worse.
MYTH
Treatment is only cosmetic.
FACT
For many people, varicose veins cause real symptoms such as pain, swelling and skin changes. That’s why treatment is often covered by insurance when it’s medically necessary.
MYTH
Creams can fix varicose veins.
FACT
Over-the-counter creams and oils may soothe the skin, but they can’t reach the faulty valves deep inside the vein. Closing or removing the vein is what treats the cause.
MYTH
Treatment means surgery and a long recovery.
FACT
Most treatment today is done in the office through a tiny entry point, and most patients walk out the same day.
Varicose Vein Myths, Answered
Book a veins sepaclsit near you at one of our clinics in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Arizona.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no single best varicose vein treatment. Larger veins are often treated with radiofrequency or laser ablation, VenaSeal® or ClariVein®, while smaller veins respond well to sclerotherapy. Your ultrasound results help your provider choose the right option.
The cost depends on the procedure, the number of veins treated and your insurance. When treatment relieves symptoms like pain or swelling, insurance often covers much of it. Our team verifies your benefits and explains expected costs before you schedule.
Often, yes, when it’s medically necessary. Many plans, including Medicare, cover treatment for symptomatic varicose veins after an ultrasound confirms vein reflux. Some plans require a trial of compression stockings first.
Most patients feel only mild discomfort. The area is numbed before ablation or phlebectomy, and sclerotherapy feels like small pinches. Some soreness or bruising afterward is common and usually fades within days to weeks.
Treated veins are closed or removed for good. However, new varicose veins can form over time because of genetics, age or pregnancy, so follow-up visits help keep your veins healthy.
For many patients, yes. When swelling comes from vein reflux, closing the faulty vein lowers pressure in the leg and can ease swelling, heaviness and aching. Swelling from other causes may need different care.
Walking is encouraged right away. Most people can return to light activity within a day or two, but heavy lifting and intense workouts may need to wait a short time. Your provider will give you a clear timeline.
It’s uncommon, but any vein procedure carries a small risk of a blood clot. Walking soon after treatment, wearing compression as directed and attending follow-up visits all help lower that risk.
Treatment is usually postponed until after pregnancy, because veins often improve after delivery. Compression stockings can ease symptoms in the meantime. A vein evaluation a few months after giving birth helps decide whether treatment is still needed.
Yes. Walking works your calf muscles, which help push blood back toward your heart. Regular walks can ease heaviness and swelling, though they won’t make existing varicose veins disappear.
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