Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Varicose veins

• Aesculus Hippocastanum
  Common Name: Horse chestnut
  Symptoms: Horse chestnut has a marked affinity for the venous system and the legs. Symptoms that can be addressed with this remedy are:
  • Purple varicose veins
  • Backache 
  • Pain and soreness in legs
  • Pain with very little bleeding
  • Enlarged blood vessels
  • Distended veins in throat 
  • Blind piles with bleeding

The complaints are worse in the morning and afternoon, after meals, from any kind of motion, or while standing for a long time. Symptoms get better in cool and open air. 

• Arnica Montana
  Common Name: Leopard’s bane
  Symptoms: Arnica montana is a good remedy for injuries and blunt trauma. It has marked action on the blood and is used to treat bleeding disorders. This remedy helps in treating varicose veins that present with the following symptoms:
  • Pain and soreness in legs
  • Feeling that everything the person lies on is too hard
  • Black and blue discolouration of legs
  • Rheumatism that begins in the lower legs and travels upwards

All symptoms worsen in damp and cold environment, on touching the affected area, and on consuming alcohol. The patient feels better on lying down with their head low.

• Arsenicum Album
  Common Name: Arsenious acid, arsenic trioxide
  Symptoms: It is a good remedy for symptoms of varicose veins associated with intense burning, restlessness and tremendous exhaustion. Other symptoms that can be treated with this remedy are:
  • Spasms and heaviness in legs
  • Swollen feet
  • Sciatic (low back) pain
  • Heel ulcers
  • Calf cramps

The symptoms worsen after midnight, in rainy weather, and on consuming cold food and drinks. Symptoms improve from heat and on taking warm drinks. 

• Belladonna
  Common Name: Deadly nightshade
  Symptoms: Belladonna is useful in the management of varicose veins that are accompanied by extreme redness, heat and throbbing. It also helps treat the following symptoms:
  • Swollen joints with red streaks on skin
  • Jerking of legs with limping
  • Shooting type of pains in legs

Symptoms worsen in the afternoon, with the slightest movement, on touching the affected area and on lying down. They get better when the patient sits in a semi-erect position.

• Calcarea Carbonica
  Common Name: Carbonate of lime
  Symptoms: Calcarea carbonica is one of the most suitable remedies to treat varicose veins. It can also help manage the following symptoms:
  • Swelling of leg joints
  • Pain and cramps in calves along with cold knees
  • Weakness in legs
  • Coldness and damp feeling of feet at night, as if wearing wet stockings
  • Sour-smelling foot sweat that makes the soles raw
  • Tearing pains in muscles

Symptoms worsen on climbing stairs, with exertion, in moist weather and while standing. All complaints get better on lying on the painful side and in dry weather. 

• Carbo Vegetabilis
  Common Name: Vegetable charcoal
  Symptoms: This remedy has a strong affinity for blood and capillaries and is used to treat the tendency to bleed. A few other symptoms of varicose veins that can be treated using this remedy are:
  • Paralysed feeling in limbs as if they have gone to sleep
  • Numbness and sweating in feet
  • Shin pain
  • Skin is blue-black and cold and covered with swollen veins
  • Cramps in soles and swelling in toes
  • Sudden feeling of coldness in the back
  • Moist skin with immense itching
  • Ulcers that don't heal; varicose ulcers
  • Persons who still have some lingering effect and haven't completely recovered from some old medical condition

Symptoms worsen in damp weather, in the evening at night, and in open air. Symptoms get better in cold weather and on fanning oneself.

• Causticum
  Common Name: Hahnemann’s tincture acris sine kali
  Symptoms: This homeopathic medicine is useful in the management of the following symptoms:
  • Tearing pains in joints along with a burning sensation
  • Numbness in limbs with paralysis of one part
  • Soreness of skin between thighs
  • Old injuries that open up
  • Contracted tendons

Symptoms worsen in clear weather and on exposure to dry and cold winds. Symptoms get better in damp weather and with warmth. 

• Crotalus Horridus
  Common Name: Rattlesnake
  Symptoms: Crotalus horridus is an effective remedy in the management of bleeding disorders. It is also used to treat the following symptoms:
  • Legs going to sleep easily
  • Swelling and discolouration of the skin with sensitiveness
  • Paralysis in the right legs
  • Skin eruptions surrounded by purplish discolouration of skin
  • Cold, damp feet
  • A sensation of soreness in the skin that is relieved by the application of pressure 

Symptoms are worse on the right side; they aggravate in the morning and evening, in warm weather, during the spring season and on exposure to open air.

• Fluoricum Acidum
  Common Name: Hydrofluoric acid
  Symptoms: Thie remedy is quite effective in the treatment of varicose veins. It can help in treating the following symptoms:
  • Swelling in joints of fingers
  • Varicose veins and varicose ulcers with red edges
  • Destruction of bones
  • Bleeding with an offensive odour
  • Person is forced to move about vigorously

Symptoms worsen in the morning, and with warmth but get better while walking and in cold weather. 

• Hamamelis Virginiana
  Common Name: Witch hazel
  Symptoms: Witch hazel is an excellent remedy that acts on the venous system and is used to treat conditions like haemorrhages, varicose veins and piles. Some of the other symptoms treated by this remedy are:
  • Relaxation of the venous system leading to passive bleeding
  • Tired feeling in the legs
  • Bruising pain in the affected parts
  • Muscle soreness
  • Small bleeding spots under skin
  • Varicose ulcers

The symptoms worsen in warm moist air. 

• Lachesis Mutus
  Common Name: Bushmaster or surucucu snake
  Symptoms: Lachesis mutus is an effective remedy for patients who have sepsis, leading to bleeding and spotting under the skin. Other symptoms treated with this remedy are:
  • Right-sided sciatica
  • Hot skin with bluish discolouration
  • Varicose ulcers with black edges
  • Swelling in veins
  • Cellulitis (infection of deeper layers of skin)
  • Inability to bear anything tight on any part

The symptoms are worse on the left side. They aggravate after sleep, on taking warm baths and applying pressure on the affected area. They get better with warm applications. 

• Lycopodium Clavatum
  Common Name: Club moss
  ​Symptoms: Club moss is primarily used for treating pain and symptoms associated with varicose veins. It can also help manage the following symptoms:
  • Numbness, drawing and tearing in legs and arms, especially at night
  • Increased sweating of feet
  • Pain in heels on walking
  • Right-sided sciatica
  • Varicose veins with itching
  • Offensive sweat, especially of feet and armpits
  • Abscesses under the skin that ulcerate
  • Thick and hardened skin
  • Right foot feels hot, left cold 

All the symptoms aggravate between 4 pm and 8 pm and from warmth. They are worse on the right side. The patient feels better after midnight and on moving about.

• Pulsatilla Pratensis
  Common Name: Windflower
  Symptoms: Pulsatilla pratensis is an effective remedy for varicose veins. It can be used to treat the following symptoms:
  • Shifting pain in legs
  • Lack of thirst
  • Pain in thighs along with restlessness
  • Heaviness in legs
  • Redness and swelling of feet
  • Leg pain that gets worse when the leg is left hanging (as when sitting in a chair)

Symptoms worsen in the evening and in hot, wet weather. Symptoms get better in open air and with cold applications.

• Sulphur
  Common Name: Sublimated sulphur
  Symptoms: This is a great remedy for varicose veins that are associated with intense burning and heat. Other symptoms that can be treated with this remedy are:
  • Stiff joints
  • Burning sensation in the soles at night
  • Pimple-like eruptions
  • Skin complaints that show up after using local medications
  • Severe itching 

Complaints get worse in the morning, when the person is at rest, with warmth, on taking alcoholic stimulants and after bathing. Symptoms get better in dry, warm weather. 

• Vipera Berus
  Common Name: German viper
  Symptoms: Vipera is an excellent remedy for swelling of veins and burning sensations. Other symptoms that can be managed with this remedy include:
  • Unbearable pain on hanging legs down; the patient keeps their legs elevated to avoid the pain
  • Severe inflammation
  • Leg cramps
  • Skin is livid
  • Sensitiveness and bursting pain in legs
  • Skin peels off in large patches

Homeopathic remedies are highly diluted preparations which can easily lose their potency upon coming in contact with certain external substances - strong scents and perfumes for example.

To get the maximum benefits from treatment, homeopathic physicians recommend their patients to consider the following lifestyle and dietary guidelines along with taking medications:  

Do’s: 

• Eat nutritious and healthy foods.
• Stay in a clean and hygienic environment.
• Include physical exercise in your daily routine.
• Maintain personal hygiene

Don’ts: 

• Do not consume foods and drinks which are known for their medicinal properties.
• Do not drink caffeinated beverages or drinks that have a strong odour.
• Do not use strong perfumes.
• Avoid extreme emotions like anger and grief that may lead to overexertion of mind.
• Avoid staying in humid and unclean rooms.
• Avoid all excesses in foods, including excess of salt, sugar and spices.

Homeopathic remedies are holistic in nature. They contain diluted natural substances, which are prescribed on the basis of individual traits (along with disease symptoms)

There are many remedies in homeopathy which can be used in the management of varicose veins. These medicines help in enhancing blood flow and muscle tone, especially in the legs. Along with improving blood flow, they also reinforce the valves in the veins so that the blood does not stagnate in the legs. Experts say that with continued homeopathic treatment, even the bluish discolouration and swelling in the veins disappear.

A pilot study done in Germany suggested that arnica has some benefits in reducing pain and hematoma after varicose vein surgery.  

In another study, complementary treatment with homeopathic medicines was found to be more beneficial than placebo in relieving symptoms of varicose veins. 

However, more studies are needed to confirm the benefits of homeopathic medicines in the treatment of varicose veins. 

Homeopathic remedies are diluted natural products. The dilution renders them free of side effects but does not affect their medicinal properties.

These remedies are considered to be safe and effective in a vast population. However, it is always best to ask your doctor before taking any medicine on your own. An experienced homeopathic doctor has the best knowledge about the composition of these remedies and will prescribe the most suitable medication based on your symptoms and individual traits.

Varicose veins are a common medical condition encountered in clinical practice. The condition mostly affects legs and does not cause any symptoms in most cases. However, some people experience aching and discomfort in the legs with swelling in the ankles. Varicose veins are conventionally treated by reducing the pressure in veins, which is the cause of the condition. Homeopathic treatment of varicose veins includes symptomatic management along with the improvement of overall health. Along with medicines, homeopathic doctors also suggest lifestyle management, diet and exercise for the treatment of varicose veins. Do not take any remedy without talking to a qualified doctor first.