7 Reasons To See A Vein Specialist Think your vein problems are just a cosmetic issue? Vein specialists say no. More than 30 million Americans suffer from venous disease, but only 10 percent seek treatment for it, according to the Society for Vascular Medicine. About 20% of all adults will get varicose vein disorders, a type of vascular disease, at some point in their lives. And although these diseases are more common to older people, younger ones can have them too. Sometimes, a vein disease can go unnoticed until it gets serious and dangerous. So, if you see any minimal signs of venous problems, don’t hesitate to consult a vein specialist before it gets worse. Here are the signs that you need to see a vein doctor soon! 7 Signs That You Need To See A Vein Specialist 1. Leg Discomfort Do you feel any burning, throbbing, heaviness, or pain in your legs? These discomfort symptoms indicate that you need vein treatment from a vein doctor. Heavy legs, in particular, is one of the most significant signs of vascular problems such as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).  CVI is usually caused by blood clots and varicose veins. While it may not be a serious condition at first, it could lead to serious complications later on such as venous stasis ulcers and other circulatory system problems. 2. Vein Discoloration Another sign of possible vein disease is vein discoloration. The discoloration indicates that the blood is pooling due to venous insufficiency. This sign is most common to those with varicose veins and spider veins.  The discoloration usually occurs in the abdomen, legs, and feet when blood pools in the vessels instead of flowing back to the heart. Because of the blood pooling, the pressure inside the blood vessels tends to build up until a vessel leaks. Vein discoloration can be a result of other vascular diseases aside from varicose veins and spider veins. Skin discoloration changes associated with any vein disease include: Red and darker skinThick, hard, scaly skinSwellingLeg ulcers Ask your trusted vein doctor for the diagnosis and treatment options if you noticed any discoloration in your veins. 3. Swelling Blood pooling can cause fluid to leak out of the vein and into the surrounding tissues and cause swelling. Swelling is one of the common symptoms of varicose vein conditions.  Individuals with vascular diseases may experience swelling on either one side or both sides of the body. It’s best to consult and get a varicose vein treatment procedure right away from your trusted vein specialist. The doctor can also diagnose other vascular conditions related to your swelling symptoms. 4. Prolonged Pain Prolonged pain is common for people with vein diseases. You’ll feel an increasing pain the longer you stand or sit.  Exercising can allow the blood to flow better and relieve the pain. Walking at least 30 minutes to one hour daily can support your circulatory system. If you can’t walk, you can opt for calisthenics exercises such as squatting. If exercising does not relieve the pain, schedule an appointment with a vein doctor immediately. If you’re someone who feels extreme discomfort in doing physical activities, vein doctors can provide you with the right varicose vein treatment options and find other threats in your veins. 5. Twisted Veins Twisted or gnarled veins are among the signs of venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Veins that are twisted and swollen are twice more common to women than men.  Varicose veins can expose you to great dangers when a proper treatment plan isn’t done early. It’s best to seek medical advice from a vein specialist to help you with your vein issues before they get worse. 6. Chronic Skin Itching Got a frustrating itch that just wouldn’t go away? That could be a sign that you’re suffering from vein disease.  CVI can sometimes cause your veins to itch, and the frustrating part is that you can’t scratch your veins. Hence, you’ll feel more irritated with the itching that can’t be relieved by continuous scratching. Vein doctors can help you alleviate this problem. Call and book an appointment with your trusted specialist immediately if you experience any prolonged itching so they can give you the right treatment procedures. 7. Bleeding Varicose Veins The varicose veins near your skin’s surface can bleed if you cut or bump your leg. You can stop an emergency bleeding if you lie down, raise your leg, and apply direct pressure to the wound. However, stopping the bleeding can be difficult if you’re not fully aware of the right procedure. Call for immediate medical treatment if the bleeding persists. Types of Vein Doctors You’ll need to consult a vein doctor if you have any of the above conditions. However, you have to remember that there are different types of vein doctors for various vascular problems.  The three types of vein doctors are vascular surgeons, phlebologists, and vein specialists. Like other doctors, they have different training specialties and skills. Read on to learn more about them: Vascular Surgeon Vascular surgeons are American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) board-certified physicians that are specifically trained to do both the vascular surgery and post-operative medical care management of patients suffering from various vascular diseases. They are best-suited to diagnose and manage simple and complex vein diseases, including vein surgeries using minimally invasive techniques. Phlebologist A phlebologist is a medically qualified doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating patients with specific disorders in your veins such as spider veins, clotting, leg ulcers, vascular birthmarks, and other related vascular conditions. Phlebologists are limited only to the cosmetic treatment of varicose veins. Unlike a vascular surgeon, they aren’t trained to manage invasive vascular surgery, as well as post-operative care to their patients.  If you’re looking for a phlebologist, you have to take note that their only requirement for obtaining their certification is a written examination. They have incomplete training as an expert in vascular management. It’s better to find out if they have ABMS recognized specialties like interventional cardiology or vascular surgery before booking an appointment. Vein Specialist A vein specialist has an ABMS board certification in invasive cardiology, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology. These specialists went through intensive residency training before achieving their board certification. Vein specialists also have interventional specialties with unique minimally invasive skills that they acquired from various rigorous training programs.  Consult a Vein Specialist Now! Do you have any of those vascular disease symptoms? Even if the signs are still mild or moderate, ignoring them will only increase your problems later on. Consult a licensed specialist immediately to conduct the right treatment procedures for your condition. Don’t delay seeking medical advice to avoid more danger and lengthier recovery time. If you need a medical consultation for your vascular problems, VISP – Vascular and Interventional Specialists of Prescott is here to help you.  We have top-level care treatment and minimally invasive procedures for various vascular problems with quick recovery time!  Visit our website to know more about our services, or call us at 928.771.8477 to book an appointment today.  Have you undergone treatment from a vein specialist? Share your experience in the comments section below!

When to Get Neck Injections for Pain [and How to Prepare] Have you been experiencing constant neck pain that radiates from your neck to your arm?  Do simple remedies like stretching, ice/heat therapy or pain medications give you zero relief?  Chronic neck pains are debilitating aches that can hamper your day-to-day activities.  Fortunately, a simple injection may be the answer you’ve been looking for.  What Injections Are Given For Neck Pain?  Neck injections for pain are administered to patients who have been dealing with long-term neck pain.  Cortisone injections for pain in the neck are one of the best alternative treatments before neck surgery is considered. If pain medications or physical therapy hasn’t worked to alleviate your neck pain, you might be the perfect candidate for one of these treatment options:  Epidural steroid injection. A cervical epidural injection places steroids in the epidural space and into the dura (the membrane that covers your spine and nerve root in the neck). This will lower inflammation in the nerve roots, providing pain relief.  Facet joint injections. This injection is recommended if the neck pains are caused by facet joint inflammation. The steroid is injected in the facet joint, a small joint behind your vertebral bones. Nerve root block. If the neck pains are associated with a damaged disk or a bone spur, the nerve root block is considered. This injection is inserted in the area around the spinal nerve root to decrease its inflammation.  What Is A Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection?  The cervical epidural injection is a minimally invasive procedure wherein both a corticosteroid and an anesthetic numbing agent are delivered to the epidural space (the area between the bone and the protective dura sac around the spinal nerves).  This type of corticosteroid injection has been proven as an effective treatment to decrease inflammation and pain in the neck area.  Although this injection is not intended to reduce the size of a cervical herniated disc, it can flush away some of the proteins that cause the swelling in the spinal cord and nerves.  This neck pain injection can bring long-term pain relief, allowing alternative treatments such as physical therapies and exercise programs to improve your spinal condition. When Should You Get A Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection?  Patients who have been suffering from long-term neck and back pain are good candidates for an epidural steroid injection. It may benefit those particularly with the following conditions:  Cervical radiculitis. Pain that radiates from the head or the neck down to the arm due to nerve compression in the cervical spine.  Cervical Herniated Discs. Electric-like pain that’s felt from the neck down to the arms, which may be caused by trauma or neck injury.  Cervical Spondylosis. Pain caused by the aging and normal wear-and-tear of the spinal disc in your neck.  Treatment through the cervical epidural steroid injection has been beneficial to patients with these painful neck inflammatory conditions.  In cases where rehabilitative exercises are required, these epidural injections work well in abating the pain to allow you to continue with physical therapy.  Furthermore, it can also help assess if more invasive treatments, such as surgery, are needed to address the pain. Who Are Not Ideal Candidates For Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection?  A patient with the following conditions is at risk for complications:  Patient with active infections, bleeding problems, high blood pressure, or diabetes If you are taking medications blood-thinners (eg. heparin, coumadin, etc.) If you are allergic to the epidural steroid medication (eg. corticosteroid, anesthetic) You can discuss your conditions with our doctors and we will assess your pain management options.  How To Prepare For Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection?  If you are considering having cervical epidural steroid injections, preparation is key to lessen risks and complications.  Here’s how you can best prepare for your neck injection:  Bring your complete medical data and history at your first appointment.  Be sure to give your doctor a comprehensive list of all your medications so they know which medicines need to be discontinued or avoided before doing the procedure.  What To Expect Before The Procedure?  Before the treatment, your doctor will do a thorough medical examination.  Your medical history will be reviewed and several tests will be done to assess whether you are a good candidate for cervical ESI.  Once cleared, our doctors will list specific instructions on what you should do before the procedure.  For example, a typically required routine preparation is to not eat more than a small meal within a few hours before the injection.  Patients are also typically allowed to take their usual medications, except for those that have anti-inflammatory or blood-thinning effects.  What Happens During The Treatment?  What To Expect: Do Injections In Neck Hurt?  In general, injections can bring some mild discomfort, especially when the medications are delivered in small delicate areas.  Fortunately, local anesthetics (pain relief medication) will be administered before the injection so you can expect to only feel a small amount of pressure rather than pain when your doctor inserts the cervical corticosteroid injection.  If you’re concerned about pain from the neck injection, talk to your doctor to find out your options for pain relief medication.  You may request to be sedated during the procedure, but this is very uncommon as the procedure is not uncomfortable.  Remember to simply relax, stay calm, and take deep breaths during the procedure.  Step 1: Preparing For The Injection Extensive assessments will be done by your doctor to figure out which site to inject. Ideally, they will target the medication as close to the painful nerve as possible.  To do this, x-ray fluoroscopy is used to take live imagery of your neck.  You will lie down on the x-ray table. A local anesthetic will be administered to numb the injection site and minimize pain.  Generally, patients are expected to be awake during the injection to be able to communicate any discomfort to the physician.  Step 2: Inserting The Needle Through the x-ray fluoroscopy, the doctor will be able to see in real-time where to inject the epidural steroid.  A contrast dye will be used to ensure that the medication is flowing in the correct place.  The entry site will be on the side of the neck to access the neural foramen, which sits just above the opening of the nerve root and outside the epidural space.  The needle will go through the skin, between the bony vertebrae, and into the epidural space. Step 3: Injecting The Corticosteroid  Once the local anesthetic takes effect and the needle is correctly positioned, your doctor will inject the epidural steroid injection into the epidural space that surrounds the inflamed nerve roots.  Depending on the pain location, one or several cervical spinal levels may need to be injected.  How To Recover After The Procedure?  After the injection, you will be monitored in a recovery area typically for up to an hour.  Many patients are already able to move and walk around post-injection.  However, for some, temporary weakness and numbness can occur in the legs, which will eventually wear off by the end of the day.  We advise the following to our patients:  Be brought home by a companion  Rest and avoid heavy activities for the rest of the day  Avoid drinking or operating heavy machinery for at least the next 12 hours post-injection  Usually, many patients can resume their regular activities the following day.  However, you may expect soreness at the injection site. This can be alleviated by icing the area and taking mild analgesics that are recommended by your doctor.  What Results Can You Expect?  The medication may not go into full effect right away.  It’s recommended to track the pain levels you feel within the next couple of weeks.  There may be days where the area feels much more painful, numb, or weak. This is normal as the numbing medications eventually wear off before the epidural steroid injections start to take effect within 2-7 days.  For those with mild neck pain, one or two injections may be administered within a 1 to 4-week interval to achieve the full relief.  How Long Do Neck Injections Last?  Depending on the severity of neck pain, patients who undergo cervical epidural steroid injections can expect pain relief that lasts for weeks up to years. To achieve the best results, epidural injections are best done with physical therapy and neck exercise programs.  In Conclusion…  If you’ve been suffering from chronic neck pain, it may be best to consider cervical epidural steroid injections. Get in touch with us and we’ll schedule you for your first appointment!  Epidural steroid injections are a minimally invasive treatment wherein corticosteroids are injected in epidural space within the cervical area of your spine.  This results in decreased inflammation in the nerve and reduces neck pain.  These neck injections a safe, with very low risk associated with the procedure. Not much preparation is needed, but it is important to discuss your medical history and list of medications to your doctor.  Full recovery can be experienced a day after the injection. The epidural steroid injections will take effect in about 2-7 days, but it can bring relief to long-term neck pain. Cervical epidural steroid injections can be a life-changing experience, especially for those that have been dealing with chronic neck pains.  Want to know more about cervical epidural steroid injections? Visit us at vispdocs.com, or call 928.771.8477 for more information.