Even though Kristen is dedicated to an intense fitness routine, her day job negatively affected her leg health. While her sore legs didn’t slow her down, the discomfort and pain brought her to Vein Specialists of the South for help.
What was the cause of Kristen’s sore legs? Venous disease, like varicose veins, caused unexplained leg pain and discomfort. So Kristen scheduled a consultation with Dr. Ken Harper, Dr. William Veale and our team at Vein Specialists of the South.
How Kristen’s Desk Job Contributed To Her Venous Disease
Kristen spent her days as a claims adjuster, requiring long hours on the phone and behind a desk. These long periods of inactivity led to predictable symptoms, including sore legs, heaviness, and varicose veins.
Why Do Desk Jobs Contribute To Varicose Veins?
When sitting or standing venous blood flow from your feet back to your heart must fight against gravity. Contraction of your calf muscles is the primary ‘pump’ propelling blood up your leg veins. As the blood flows upward, valves in the vein walls keep it heading in the right direction. Sitting and standing jobs put stress on the veins increasing the risks of developing symptomatic vein disease.
Is Your Career Making You Sick?
Top 10 Careers That Contribute To Venous Disease
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- Teaching
- Office Workers
- Computer Programmers
See the rest of the list on our blog.
Fitness Is Good, But It’s Not Always Enough To Prevent Sore Legs And Venous Disease
One of our top Better Veins for Life® Principles is exercise. Exercise activates the calf muscles and encourages healthy circulation. The role of exercise in weight management also helps, as obesity negatively impacts vein health.
So why wasn’t Kristen’s fitness routine enough to prevent venous disease? Common causes of vein disease include a family history of vein problems, the stresses of pregnancy, and occupational risks. Because her day job required long periods of sitting, her exercise routine was not enough to overcome the damage done by her long work days. Without periodic leg elevation, daily use of compression hose, and routinely pumping calf muscles during the work day, the damage only occurred more quickly.
Are You Stuck At A Desk All Day Like Kristen?
If you sit at a desk all day like our friend Kristen, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from venous disease.
See A Vein Specialist
If you already have sore legs, restless legs, night leg cramps, unexplained heaviness, or visible varicose veins or spider veins, we recommend contacting Vein Specialists of the South. We will evaluate your legs for underlying venous disease. If necessary, we will treat your veins using our minimally invasive procedures that require no general anesthesia, prescription pain relief, or hospital stays.
Walk-In, Walk-Out® Procedures
Non-Surgical, Minimally Invasive, No Downtime
At Vein Specialists of the South, we want to offer the most minimally invasive procedures in a comfortable office setting.
Most of our procedures are done under a gentle, local anesthesia, with a true Walk-In, Walk-Out®, with little or no downtime approach to care.
Learn more about our non-surgical vein treatments at Vein Specialists of the South.
Conservative Care Options And The Better Veins For Life Principles
Even if a procedure is unnecessary, our team will guide you to treat your venous disease and help prevent it from advancing. In addition to implementing a healthy fitness routine (like Kristen), we also tell all of our patients to:
- wear compression hose, socks, or sleeves
- elevate your legs
- avoid high heels
- maintain a healthy weight
During an appointment with one of our vein specialists, we will also evaluate your health history and medications to determine if your risk is higher, as some chronic health conditions and prescriptions are known to increase the potential for venous disease.
Other Tips To Prevent Sore Legs And Venous Disease On The Job
When you wear compression at work, you enhance healthy circulation dramatically. However, changing up your routine to improve your leg health (and overall health) will go a long way to manage or prevent venous disease and sore legs. We commonly recommend the following:
- Take your phone meetings for a walk.
- Set an alarm reminder to pump your calf muscles, even while sitting.
- Stand up and stretch every hour.
- If safe, park farther from your office to get in some extra steps.
Start Your Journey Toward Better Veins For Life
Are you ready to banish sore legs? Do you have visible veins you want to disappear?
Vein Specialists of the South is here to help, and we offer numerous options to get started that fit within your busy schedule, including virtual consultations you can get in the comfort of your own home.
Contact us today to book an evaluation, learn more, or to RSVP for our next Vein Education and Evaluation event in Downtown Macon.
