Why does my leg throb when i lay down

Sometimes our legs get tired and ache. However, tired, throbbing, painful legs can be early signs of venous hypertension / insufficiency.

What can cause tired throbbing painful legs?

Venous hypertension / insufficiency can cause tired throbbing painful legs

Tired, throbbing and painful legs might be connected to problems with the veins in our lower legs. Blood is pumped from our heart to the rest of our body through our arteries.  It returns to our heart through our veins. Our blood is propelled back to our heart by our heart pumping and by our leg and foot muscles as we walk and move our ankles.

Our veins contain one-way valves to stop the blood falling back towards your toes. These valves can become weak or damaged. When this happens, our veins become so swollen (varicose veins) that blood is forced into the tissue of our skin making it swell. This can make our legs feel tired, throbbing and painful. You may notice that your ankles swell, especially in the evening. This is because blood is forced into the tissue of your skin.

Getting diagnosed with venous hypertension / insufficiency

If your legs feel tired, throbbing and painful, make an appointment at your GP practice. You may be given an appointment to see the nurse rather than the doctor as nurses are often responsible for caring for patients with leg problems.

Alternatively, there might be a Leg Club or specialist leg clinic in your area. You don’t need to be referred by your GP to visit these clinics.

When you see the nurse or doctor, they should:

• Ask about your symptoms and how long you have had problems
• Examine your lower legs

You may also be offered a simple test called a Doppler ultrasound. This test measures the blood pressure in your ankle and compares it to the pressure in your arm to see if you have problems with the blood supply to your lower leg.

You might also be offered some further tests to check for other health problems that can affect your legs, such as diabetes and anaemia

If your GP practice thinks that your pain is caused by problems with your veins or arteries, they may refer you for further tests at your local hospital or specialist clinic.

Treatment – what treatment will I be offered for venous hypertension / insufficiency?

Compression therapy (support bandages or socks)

If your pain is caused by venous insufficiency, and there are no problems with the blood supply to your legs, then you must be offered compression therapy.

Compression therapy improves blood supply by applying pressure to the leg. This can be done by bandaging the lower leg or by wearing supportive socks, stockings or tights. Compression therapy is very effective at reducing swelling and healing or preventing sores or ulcers. There are lots of different types of compression therapy so ask your nurse to find something that is right for you. Compression can be a little uncomfortable when you first start treatment but any discomfort should reduce as the swelling goes down. You might find it helpful to take pain killers when you start compression therapy.

Venous intervention

If your problems / symptoms are caused by venous hypertension there are simple interventions available on the NHS to treat the veins which are not working correctly, therefore, providing a permanent solution to your issues.  If the issues are believed to be coming from your veins you should seek a referral through your GP / healthcare practitioner to your local vascular specialist team.

The most common vein treatment options available include:

• Endothermal ablation – where heat is used to seal up the affected veins
• Sclerotherapy – this uses special foam to close the veins
• Ligation and stripping – where the affected veins are surgically removed

Healthcare advice for venous hypertension / insufficiency

Making healthy changes to your lifestyle can help reduce the symptoms of tired, throbbing, painful legs:

Tired, throbbing and painful legs can be due to issues with the veins in our lower legs. Blood is pumped into our arteries from our heart to the rest of our body. It’s going back to our heart through our veins. Our blood is propelled back to our lungs by the beating of our hearts and the muscles of our legs and feet as we walk and move our ankles.

Our veins have one-way valves to stop the blood from falling down to your toes. These valves can become weak or impaired. When this happens, our veins become so swollen (varicose veins) that blood is pushed into the tissue of our skin that it swells. This can make our legs feel tired, throbbing and sore. You can find that your ankles are swelling, particularly at night. This is because the blood is pushed into the tissue of your skin.

Being diagnosed with venous hypertension/insufficiencies

If your legs are tired, throbbing and painful, make a GP practice appointment. You may be given an appointment to see the nurse rather than the doctor as the nurses are also responsible for caring for patients with issues with their legs. Alternatively, there might be a Leg Club or a specialized leg clinic in your city. You don’t need to be referred to your GP to access these clinics.

If you see a nurse or a doctor, they should:

• Ask about your symptoms and how long you’ve had issues
• Take a look at your lower legs
• A basic test called a Doppler ultrasound may also be provided. This test tests the blood pressure in your ankle and compares it to the pressure in your arm to see if you have issues with the blood supply in your lower leg.

You may also be given several extra tests to check for other health conditions that may affect your legs, such as diabetes and anemia. If your GP practice believes that your discomfort is caused by problems with your veins or arteries, you could be referred for further testing at your local hospital or clinic.

What care will I be given for venous hypertension/insufficiency?

Compression Therapy

If your pain is caused by venous insufficiency and there are no problems with the blood supply to your leg/s, compression therapy should be offered.

Compression therapy increases blood flow by applying leg pressure. This can be achieved by bandaging the lower leg or wearing comfortable socks, stockings or tights. Compression therapy is very helpful in reducing swelling and curing or preventing sores or ulcers. There are a number of different forms of compression therapy, so ask your nurse to find one that’s right for you. Compression may be a little painful when you start therapy first, but any pain should be minimized when the swelling goes down. You can find it beneficial to take painkillers when you start compression therapy.

Venous Intervention
If your issues/symptoms are caused by venous hypertension, there are simple treatments available at the SNS to treat veins that are not functioning properly and thus offer a permanent solution to your problems. If complications are suspected to come from your veins, you can seek referral to your nearest vascular specialist team through your GP/health write an essay for me practitioner.

The most popular treatment options available include:

• Endothermal ablation – where heat is used to seal the damaged veins.
• Sclerotherapy – this uses special foam to close the veins
• Ligation and stripping-where the affected veins are surgically cut

Healthcare recommendations on venous hypertension/insufficiency

Making healthy lifestyle changes can help to reduce the symptoms of tired, throbbing, sore legs:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Taking light to moderate exercise, such as swimming or walking for approximately 30 minutes at least three days a week.
• Stop standing here for a long time
• Wear compression socks or tights instead of regular socks or tights.

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Why would my leg be throbbing?

Why do my legs ache at night when I lay down?