What Kind of Doctor Treats Poor Circulation in Legs? And Other FAQs About Vein Doctors

What kind of doctor treats poor circulation in the legs?

Poor circulation in the legs usually happens because of underlying vein disease, a medical condition wherein the collapse of vein valves causes blood to flow in the opposite direction. Since poor circulation caused by collapsed vein valves is a vascular condition, it must be treated by physicians specializing in phlebology, i.e., the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of vascular conditions, such as spider veins, varicose veins, leg ulcers, restless leg syndrome, and deep vein thrombosis.

The kind of doctor specializing in phlebology is a phlebologist — colloquially known as vein doctors, vein specialists, vein physicians, vascular doctors, or vein expects. Phlebologists can come from all fields of medicine, including cardiology, dermatology, hospitalists, anesthesiology, or internal medicine, but they must have specialized training in vein care. You should ideally look for board-certified vein doctors with advanced training in vascular imaging diagnostic tests and minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments.

New York City Vein Treatment is a group of state-of-the-art medical centers for vein treatment specializing in minimally invasive vein treatments. Our vein treatment centers are led by highly-skilled, board-certified vein doctors who use the latest diagnostic tests to identify and treat the root cause of your vein problems, not just the symptoms. We individually select vein doctors who have undergone advanced residency and fellowship training, ensuring you have access to the highest standards of vein care.

You can find our medical centers for vein treatment in Midtown Manhattan and the Financial District. Our vein treatment center in Midtown Manhattan is located at 290 Madison Ave Suite 202, and the FiDi office is located at 156 William St, 3rd floor, New York. Please schedule an appointment with our board-certified vein doctors in New York for more information.

What causes poor circulation in your legs?

Poor circulation in the legs often occurs because of a circulatory disorder known as chronic venous insufficiency. This is a medical condition caused by the collapse of vein valves. In healthy veins, the valves act as one-way doors that allow blood to flow smoothly towards the heart, often against the force of gravity (legs to the heart). When your vein valves collapse or malfunction, blood flows backward and accumulates in the leg veins, leading to vascular dilation, spider veins, varicose veins, and other vein problems.

Chronic venous insufficiency happens when your vein valves collapse. And your vein valves may collapse for a wide range of reasons, such as natural wear-and-tear due to aging, pregnancy, hormonal changes, being overweight, maintaining a sedentary lifestyle that involves long periods of sitting or standing still, and genetic predisposition. If you have a high risk of vein disease because of the aforementioned factors, you should wear compression stockings regularly and engage in aerobic exercises to improve blood circulation.

What kind of doctor treats poor circulation in the legs? What causes poor circulation in your legs? We answer your questions about poor circulation and vascular doctors in New York.

How do I know if I have poor circulation in my legs?

Poor circulation in the legs, especially when caused by chronic venous insufficiency, may lead to a wide range of signs and symptoms. The earliest symptoms of vein disease include leg heaviness, throbbing leg veins, leg pain, leg swelling, restless leg syndrome, and frequent leg cramps. The signs and symptoms of vein disease usually worsen at night or after long periods of sitting or standing still. The most visible sign of poor circulation is the formation of spider veins and varicose veins.

How does a doctor check for poor circulation?

Your vein doctor will perform comprehensive duplex ultrasound tests to check for poor circulation. During a duplex ultrasound, the vein doctor applies a special cooling gel to your skin, following which a handheld ultrasound device generates ultrasound energy. The ultrasound energy enters your legs and visualizes the direction of blood flow in your leg veins on a computer screen. The vein doctor interprets the results of vascular imaging to determine if you have chronic venous insufficiency.

Can you reverse poor circulation in the legs?

You can temporarily alleviate the symptoms of vein disease with lifestyle changes. But there’s no way to fix the diseased vein valve. The only way to permanently treat poor circulation is to destroy or remove the diseased saphenous vein responsible for your vein problems using minimally invasive procedures. Once the diseased vein is removed, the accumulated blood automatically reroutes into healthier leg veins to restore optimal blood circulation to the heart.

However, you can engage in the following activities to alleviate the symptoms of vein disease:

  • Wear compression stockings regularly to push blood towards the heart.
  • Exercise regularly, especially cardiovascular exercises that work your calf muscles, such as running, swimming, cycling, and yoga.
  • Elevate your legs above your heart’s level for a few minutes a few times a day.
  • Avoid sitting or standing still for long periods of time.
  • Drink lots of water and minimize salt intake.

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Does walking help circulation?

Walking is an excellent form of low-level exercise to improve blood circulation. When you walk, you engage your calf muscles and push some of the accumulated blood in your leg veins towards the heart. Walking also improves blood circulation in general. However, if you already have chronic venous insufficiency, walking won’t treat the diseased saphenous vein.

Do compression socks help with blood circulation?

Compression stockings are skin-tight garments that apply pressure on your leg veins. If you don’t have vein disease, compression stockings can minimize the risk of venous insufficiency and improve blood circulation. But if you already have poor circulation because of vein disease, compression stockings can simply prevent the condition from worsening.

MEET OUR NEW YORK

VEIN SPECIALISTS

Dr.MICHAEL NGUYEN

Veins Specialist NYC

He leads the team of vein doctors offering the highest level of care at our Spider and Varicose Vein Treatment Center NYC.

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

Dr. JUAN D. MONTOYA

Veins Specialists NYC

Highly sought after for his expertise and excellent outcomes in Vein Treatments in Manhattan.

YALE MEDICAL SCHOOL

Dr. SAREH RAJAEE

Veins Specialists NYC

She has extensive experience with vein performing procedures based on New York City.

 HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

Dr. Caroline Novak

Veins Specialists NYC

She is an Internal Medicine and Vein Disease specialist with experience in minimally invasive treatments at our Long Island clinic.

  NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

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