5 Warning Signs Your Leg Pain Could Be Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Do your legs feel heavy, achy, and tired more often than not?  It’s time to visit Vascular Vein Centers. As the only IAC-accredited vein testing specialists in Central Florida dedicated exclusively to venous care and leg health, our team can determine if your symptoms stem from a common condition called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). 

In this month’s blog, our team discusses the underlying causes and circulatory effects of CVI — and takes a closer look at the telltale signs every adult should know about. 

Chronic venous insufficiency explained

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a progressive vascular condition that occurs when vein damage slows blood flow in your legs, leading to poor lower-extremity circulation. 

Specifically, CVI develops when the one-way valves inside your leg veins become weak or dysfunctional. Instead of efficiently assisting blood flow to your heart, the faulty valves allow blood to leak backward, causing it to pool in your lower legs. 

Causes 

Most often, vein valve impairment stems from abnormal vein changes — such as relaxed venous walls or increased venous pressure — that compromise vascular function. This is known as “primary CVI.”   

CVI can also be a result of “secondary” causes or medical issues that damage veins. The most common secondary cause of CVI is scarring inflicted by blood clots like deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Rarely, CVI is caused by congenital issues present at birth, such as vein malformations. 

Risk factors

Factors that raise your risk of developing primary CVI do so by placing your leg veins under increased pressure, damaging their valves, stretching their walls, or a combination of these effects. These include:

• Family history (genes)
• Getting older (age 50+)
• Carrying excess weight
• Lack of regular exercise
• Changes during pregnancy

A lifestyle or occupation that requires frequent standing (i.e., teaching, nursing) or sitting (e.g., desk job) is another significant risk factor for venous damage and CVI. 

Statistics

Chronic venous disease (CVD) affects over 190 million people in the United States, making it 1.5 times more common than all cases of cardiovascular disease combined, and five times more common than diabetes. 

Spider veins and varicose veins are on the milder end of the CVD spectrum, and CVI is on the severe end. More than 50 million Americans have CVI — but many are unaware of the problem. 

Leg pain and other telltale signs of CVI

Persistent leg pain can be a warning sign of various conditions, ranging from sciatica to peripheral artery disease (PAD). It’s more likely to be a consequence of poor circulation and CVI when one or more of the following indicators are also present: 

1. Aching, heavy, or tired legs 

CVI is strongly associated with a persistent feeling of lower-extremity heaviness, leg fatigue, and a dull, deep ache in both legs that worsens after prolonged periods of sitting or standing. CVI-related pain typically improves when you elevate your legs.

2. Persistent lower extremity swelling

Recurrent swelling (edema) in the lower legs and ankles — the kind that makes your socks and shoes feel uncomfortably tight — is a common early CVI warning sign. CVI-induced leg swelling is typically milder upon waking and worsens throughout the day. 

3. Skin color and textural changes

Poor circulation deprives the dermal tissues on your lower extremities of oxygen, which can lead to noticeable skin changes on your ankles and calves. This CVI warning sign, known as venous stasis dermatitis, may cause your skin to become discolored or “stained,” dry, itchy, leathery, thickened, or all of the above. 

4. Visible varicose veins or spider veins

The appearance of enlarged, bulging, or twisted varicose leg veins — or finer “webs” of spider vein distortions — on the skin is a strong indicator of reduced blood flow in your lower extremities. Damaged, dilated veins may be an early symptom of CVI, or they may lead to the development of CVI without intervention.  

5. Nighttime leg cramps or restless legs

CVI is also associated with frequent muscle spasms or cramping (e.g., charley horses) in the calves at night when you’re resting. You may also experience a tingling, burning, or “pins and needles” sensation or an uncontrollable urge to move your legs when resting.

Specialist care for CVI in Central Florida

Are you bothered by persistent leg pain and other CVI symptoms? With prompt diagnosis and care, you can halt vein damage, slow CVI progression, and keep your legs healthy. 

Call 877-244-8558 to schedule an evaluation at your nearest Vascular Vein Centers location today. We have six offices in College Park of Orlando, Kissimmee, Waterford Lakes of East Orlando, Lake Mary, Davenport/Haines City, and The Villages, Florida.