Varicose Veins: Compression and Movement Help, the Cream Aisle Doesn't

Summary

Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency are a venous-valve and venous-return problem, not arterial "bad circulation": compression stockings, leg elevation, calf-pump movement and weight loss genuinely relieve the aching and swelling (moderate-quality evidence) but do not erase the varicosities, topical creams do nothing structural and the horse-chestnut and diosmin supplement case is weak and mostly manufacturer-funded, endovenous thermal (laser) ablation is guideline first-line for symptomatic truncal reflux with foam sclerotherapy and surgery behind it (strong trial evidence), and th