Getting a leg up on varicose veins Until recently, diseases of the veins, such as varicosities (varicose veins) and lymphedema (swelling of a body part), were considered, for the most part, to be untreatable, except for surgery and physical means such as bandaging. But research has started to emerge showing that there may be safe, effective herbal treatments available for the dangers associated with varicose veins. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a nebulous term indicating that the patient's vein circulation is failing and, as a consequence, the blood is "backing up" in the tissues and in the veins themselves. When blood backs up in the tissues, it produces edema (swelling). When blood pools in the veins, it causes the hated varicosities.
Things can get ugly with serious varicose veins. A reddish-brown discoloration of the lower leg may develop, but the risks extend beyond the cosmetic. Patients with venous insufficiency often complain of a dull ache in their leg(s) that worsens with prolonged standing and is alleviated when the legs are elevated. Recent studies have shown that a product called Pycnogenol, made from pine bark extract, significantly improves symptoms of CVI. Pycnogenol is available from many health food stores. Take 100 milligrams three times a day for two months. Another herbal therapy that has shown dramatic results in treating varicose veins is horse chestnut extract. A 1996 study involving more than 5,000 patients with CVI found that horse chestnut extract improved symptoms of swelling and leg heaviness significantly. Horse chestnut extract is also available in most health food stores. Take 600 milligrams per day. Keeping the heat on the medical mainstream,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD | 
