Final Up to date on January 31, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Does sclerotherapy damage? Think about lastly with the ability to put on that summer time costume with out spending ten minutes within the mirror questioning if anybody’s going to note the veins in your legs. Or getting by way of a protracted day at work with out that fixed aching and heaviness that makes standing really feel exhausting. For lots of people coping with spider veins or varicose veins, sclerotherapy opens the door to precisely that form of reduction. However first, there’s the entire needle state of affairs to consider. On this article, we’re overlaying what the science really says about sclerotherapy ache, what occurs throughout the therapy, and the way it stacks up towards different methods to take care of undesirable veins.
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What Is Sclerotherapy?
Let’s discuss what sclerotherapy actually is, as a result of as soon as the entire course of is sensible, the ache query will get simpler to reply. Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive medical process for the therapy of spider veins. Mainly, a vein specialist makes use of actually skinny needles to inject a chemical answer instantly into downside veins. This sclerosing agent irritates the vein’s internal lining, making it collapse and ultimately fade because the physique reroutes blood circulate by way of more healthy veins.
The entire thing sounds scarier than it really is. These are high quality needles (critically small) delivering the sclerotherapy answer into undesirable veins. What number of veins get handled in a single session will depend on what’s occurring with every individual’s legs, however most sclerotherapy periods wrap up in 30 to 45 minutes. The affected person stays awake the entire time, mendacity on an examination desk whereas the vascular specialist works on the handled space.
Ache Throughout Sclerotherapy: How A lot Does It Damage?
Right here’s the place it will get fascinating. Scientific trials that really measured ache throughout sclerotherapy discovered it causes method much less discomfort than most individuals anticipate. One randomized examine evaluating completely different vein therapy choices discovered that foam sclerotherapy had a median post-procedure ache rating of simply 1.60 on a scale of 0 to 10. That’s genuinely fairly low, particularly in comparison with extra invasive procedures for vein points.
Most sufferers describe what they really feel as temporary stinging or a gentle burning sensation that solely lasts a number of seconds when the needle goes in and the particular answer will get injected. Some individuals really feel a slight cramping alongside the vein being handled. The important thing factor is that the discomfort is fleeting. It doesn’t construct or stick round throughout the injection itself.
What’s form of fascinating is that vein docs normally don’t trouble with numbing brokers earlier than sclerotherapy, and there’s really a sensible purpose for this. Utilizing native anesthesia would imply one needle follow numb the whole lot, then one other needle stick for the precise therapy. That’s two injections as an alternative of 1, which appears fairly pointless when the sclerotherapy process itself causes such minimal discomfort. Some vascular vein facilities will supply topical numbing cream for people who find themselves actually anxious about needles, however actually, most individuals discover they don’t want it.
After the Process: What to Count on
The ache state of affairs modifications a bit as soon as the therapy session ends. Whereas the injection itself is fast and comparatively painless, the handled veins want time to do their factor: collapse, get reabsorbed by the physique, and fade from view. Throughout this entire course of, there’s normally some discomfort concerned.
Analysis exhibits that post-procedure ache from sclerotherapy is delicate however tends to last more than that temporary stinging throughout injection. Individuals usually expertise tenderness on the injection web site, some aching alongside the handled space, and perhaps bruising and swelling. This discomfort normally hangs round for anyplace from one to seven days, although sometimes it will possibly stick round for a number of weeks whereas the physique processes the handled veins.
The excellent news is that this post-treatment discomfort responds very well to over-the-counter ache relievers like ibuprofen. Most individuals discover it’s manageable sufficient that they will get again to common actions the identical day or the subsequent day. Scientific trials discovered that sufferers handled with foam sclerotherapy returned to regular actions in about at some point and have been off work for roughly three days on common – method much less downtime than surgical vein therapies require.
How Sclerotherapy Compares To Different Remedy Choices
If ache is a significant concern, right here’s one thing reassuring: sclerotherapy is definitely one of many least painful choices on the market for treating spider veins and smaller varicose veins. When researchers in contrast sclerotherapy to endovenous laser ablation (one other in style minimally invasive therapy for vein illness), they discovered that procedure-related ache was noticeably increased within the laser remedy group.
Conventional surgical therapies like vein stripping? These contain far more ache and for much longer restoration instances. Endovenous thermal ablation procedures additionally are inclined to trigger extra discomfort than sclerotherapy. For treating small spider veins and sure kinds of varicose veins, sclerotherapy stays the gold normal partly as a result of it’s so well-tolerated by most individuals.
Laser therapy can work nicely for some vein points, notably for individuals with needle phobia or an allergic response to the sclerotherapy answer. However for most individuals coping with undesirable veins, particularly small varicose veins and spider vein therapy, sclerotherapy gives an efficient therapy with minimal ache and downtime.
What Impacts How A lot It Hurts
Not everybody experiences sclerotherapy the identical method, and a bunch of various elements can affect how a lot discomfort occurs:
- The scale of the vein issues. Bigger veins typically want extra injections or a stronger focus of the sclerosing agent, which might imply barely extra sensation throughout and after therapy. The place the issue veins are situated additionally performs a job, since some areas of the leg are naturally extra delicate than others.
- Private ache tolerance clearly issues too. What one individual calls delicate discomfort may really feel extra intense to another person. For people who find themselves notably delicate to ache or get anxious about medical procedures, it’s price speaking to a healthcare skilled about choices for making the expertise extra snug. Some vein therapy facilities supply distraction strategies, topical numbing, or simply take further time to assist nervous sufferers really feel comfy.
- The talent of the vein physician issues greater than most individuals notice. A board-certified vein specialist who does sclerotherapy on a regular basis might be quicker and extra exact with injections, which interprets on to much less discomfort. That is a type of areas the place expertise actually counts.
Managing Discomfort And Getting Finest Outcomes
For anybody shifting ahead with sclerotherapy, there are issues that assist decrease discomfort and get optimum outcomes after a sclerotherapy therapy session:
- Sporting compression stockings for about two weeks. These aren’t precisely snug, however they’re a required a part of getting the very best final result. The compression helps hold handled veins closed and promotes higher blood circulate by way of wholesome veins.
- Scorching baths and sizzling tub soaks are off the desk for some time after therapy, since warmth can intrude with therapeutic.
- Keep away from intense train for the primary couple of weeks for a similar purpose. However strolling is definitely inspired: it helps forestall blood clot formation and helps wholesome circulation.
Facet Results: Is It A Secure Process?
Widespread unintended effects of sclerotherapy embody some bruising, momentary darkish spots on the floor of the pores and skin the place veins have been handled, and that tenderness we’ve been speaking about. These momentary unintended effects usually resolve on their very own inside a number of weeks to months. Severe unintended effects like allergic reactions or energetic deep vein thrombosis are uncommon, particularly when working with a certified vascular specialist.
The Backside Line
So does sclerotherapy damage? The trustworthy reply is that it causes some discomfort, however for most individuals, it’s temporary and completely manageable. For individuals contemplating sclerotherapy for ugly spider veins or symptomatic varicose veins, the ache issue most likely shouldn’t be the dealbreaker. The process has a robust success price, minimal downtime, and brings vital enchancment in each look and signs for many sufferers. For lots of people coping with vein well being points, the short-term discomfort of this minimally invasive process is completely price it for the long-term outcomes.
