Spider veins can be quite bothersome to most people, and understandably so: these damaged veins are striking, unsightly, and only get worse over time, especially if not attended to properly. Because of this, many people try out different procedures to get rid of their spider veins, and one of them is massage therapy. While some people are accustomed to this practice due to what they hear from friends or family, others may still be skeptical about what massage therapy really does to spider veins.
So is massage therapy really effective against spider veins? Massage therapy helps relieve discomfort and swelling associated with spider veins and varicose veins, but it doesn’t necessarily eliminate the appearance of spider veins nor treat any underlying venous conditions that a person with spider veins has. It’s better to try vein treatments like sclerotherapy, laser treatment, medical glue, and radiofrequency ablation to get back your smooth, vein-free skin.
Learn More: What’s the Difference Between IPL Therapy and Radio Frequency for Spider Veins?
Is Massage Therapy Effective for Eliminating Spider Veins?
Venous conditions like spider veins and varicose veins are common concerns for about 30 to 60% of adults. They’re often a result of different factors like heredity, sun exposure, obesity, hormonal imbalance, blood clots, occupations, and underlying venous conditions. Although they’re only a cosmetic issue most of the time, some patients experience pain and heaviness in their legs associated with spider veins.
One of the most common and effective treatments for spider veins is wearing compression stockings. The gentle pressure from these stockings is believed to help increase blood circulation and prevent blood clots. In turn, this led many people to believe that massage therapy might be a good solution to their visible spider veins and varicose veins.
How Massage Therapy Works for Spider Veins
Lymphatic drainage and vascular massage are two effective ways to treat the symptoms of deeper vein problems and chronic venous insufficiency. These massage therapies help improve tissue nutrition and increase blood circulation. During massage therapy for twisted veins, the therapist uses short strokes to help the blood move inside the valves of the blood vessels.
Although vascular massage therapy helps reduce the occasional discomfort from having spider veins, it should only be used as a complementary treatment instead of a primary solution. Vein diseases like spider veins are caused by several different factors, which might be better addressed by other types of procedures. At best, massage therapy only helps relieve pain, swelling, and discomfort caused by the venous condition.
If you’re looking for a more effective way to get rid of larger vein issues for good, other treatments like sclerotherapy, laser treatments, and radiofrequency ablation might work better. These procedures directly target the damaged veins and faulty valves inside the vessels, which is why they produce better results.
Read More: Can Supplements Help With Spider Veins?
Does Massage Therapy for Spider Veins Have Risks?
What most patients love about massage therapy is that there’s only little to no risk involved. It’s a much safer treatment for spider veins than plastic surgery, as long as it’s done correctly by a physical therapist or vein specialist.
Meanwhile, patients with venous conditions must be careful with getting massage therapy, as intense pressure might cause the extremely delicate veins to burst. This accidental shock to the veins can result in further damage and worse complications such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that would require another treatment on top of your spider vein treatments.
Making Massage Therapy More Effective
Aside from finding the right therapist to perform the vascular massage safely and effectively, using essential oils during the treatment session also helps improve vein health. Here are the three recommended essential oils for massage therapy:
- Castor Oil – This essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties. It reduces swelling in the treatment areas and prevents blood in the veins from clotting. Massage the legs and other areas with warm castor oil every day to achieve the best results.
- Mustard Oil – Nutritionists often recommend mustard oil for improving blood circulation throughout the body. Massage therapy with mustard oil helps reduce the symptoms caused by spider veins and other venous conditions. Just wash the treatment areas well to remove the pungent odor after the massage therapy.
- Lavender Oil – This fragrant essential oil relieves pain in the affected areas by boosting the brain’s production of GABA and serotonin. Applying lavender also helps reduce the size of skin ulcers that might appear on or near the treatment site.
Read More: Can Compression Socks Get Rid of Spider Veins?
Other Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Spider Vein Removal
Natural remedies like massage therapy only do so much when it comes to eliminating abnormal veins and treating the underlying venous condition. For patients who want to fully treat their spider veins and varicose veins on their skin, here are other minimally invasive treatments to try:
- Sclerotherapy – This is one of the most common treatments for reticular veins, varicose veins, and spider veins. Sclerotherapy involves injecting saltwater or foamy detergent solution into the damaged veins. The irritating agent or sclerosant causes the walls of the blood vessel to collapse and close. This forces the flow of blood to reroute in nearby healthier veins.
- Laser Treatment – Laser technology is used for a multitude of different cosmetic and medical treatments including the appearance of spider veins on the skin. Laser therapy delivers heat energy to the affected vein, causing it to contract and scar. If the patient also has varicose veins, the vein surgeon might need to use a catheter to insert the laser into the vein and stop the blood flow.
- Medical Glue – This spider vein treatment involves using cyanoacrylate glue to close the vein from the inside. The medical glue is injected into the visible veins and the patient waits until the glue is set.
- Radiofrequency Ablation – This treatment is similar to laser treatment in that it heats the vein and closes it. The main difference is that instead of light energy, this procedure delivers radiofrequency through the inside of the vein.
Say Goodbye to Spider Veins with Vein Center Doctor
Vein Center Doctor is a trusted clinic for eliminating spider veins and treating other venous conditions. We offer non-surgical treatments like sclerotherapy, RFA, EVLT, VenaSeal™, and compression therapy to help you get back your clear, smooth, and vein-free skin.
Our team of vein treatment specialists at Vein Center Doctor makes sure to provide each patient with the excellent care and treatment they deserve inside our state-of-the-art facilities. Call us now at 1-862-227-1054 to book an appointment.
