Varicose Veins
in Traverse City & Cadillac, MI

Varicose Veins Treatment

Varicose veins are the large, ropy blue veins that extend across the thigh or the calf. They are related to poor valve function in the major superficial veins themselves. They cause symptoms of aching, pain, and burning and can progress to a chronically swollen disfigured leg. These veins are a true medical problem and not cosmetic.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins were once part of the superficial venous system which generally returns only 5-10% of the blood flow from the legs back to the heart. Varicose veins begin when small one-way valves inside veins wear out over time. When these valves fail, blood falls down the veins with gravity causing excessive pressure to build up inside the veins. The veins swell and become tortuous. Once a vein is damaged by this process it can never again function as a healthy vein.

Varicose Veins Prevention

Regular exercise helps to pump blood up the legs and back to the heart against gravity. Getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet, and keeping your weight down help your overall health including your veins. Support stockings and herbal supplements have been shown to improve pain and swelling from varicose veins but have never been proven to heal bad veins or prevent healthy ones from deteriorating. Unfortunately, time and gravity cause veins in susceptible people to wear out over time. Once a vein has become varicose it will never function properly and should be eliminated.

What Will Happen If My Veins In Legs Are NOT Treated?

Over time varicose veins always enlarge and become more symptomatic, forcing many people to alter their daily activities to try to decrease the pain. In severe cases, varicose veins can cause skin damage, ulcerations, and blood clots. These complications can be prevented by treating the varicose veins early. Get your vein consultation at either of our locations: Traverse City or Cadillac, MI.

Symptoms Of Varicose Veins And CVI

Varicose veins and CVI are not just cosmetic disorders. Common Symptoms of CVI include:

  • Aching
  • Tired or heavy legs
  • Nighttime cramps
  • Swelling which is worse at the end of the day
  • Edema
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Itching
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Bleeding
  • Ulceration

Who Is More At Risk For Developing Varicose Veins?

  • Family history
  • Standing occupation
  • Obesity
  • Older age
  • Female gender
  • Pregnancy
  • History of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

What Causes CVI?

CVI is typically due to dysfunction of the valves in your veins, but it can also be caused by obstruction as can be seen with blood clots. Unlike our arteries, which have a thick muscular wall and are therefore pressurized, the venous system is a low-flow, low-pressure system. The heart pumps the blood and the arteries carry that oxygenated blood to the tissues and maintain the blood pressure. Once the blood reaches the target organs or tissues, where the oxygen exchange happens, the blood must then be returned to the heart to get recirculated.

The venous system, however, is a low flow, low-pressure system. The veins in your leg are divided into both deep and superficial venous systems. The superficial veins include all the veins above the muscles and the deep veins are deep to the muscles.

As the deep veins are enclosed in the muscles and muscular fascia, they are under higher pressures than the superficial veins and the deep veins act as the primary “highway” for blood to be returned to the heart. The superficial veins normally have lower pressure and hold the blood until it can enter the deep system for return to the heart.

Perforating veins “perforate” the fascia surrounding the muscles and take blood from the superficial veins to the deep veins. When we walk or move our muscles, the calf acts as a pump to pump the venous blood out of the legs.

In the normal state, the veins have one-way valves, which prevent the backward flow of blood. If the valves are damaged or don’t function properly, gravity will pull that blood back down toward the feet. As this blood then pools in these veins, and more blood keeps entering the veins then those veins will dilate or stretch out. This then leads to varicose veins or blood will back up because of the increased pressure in the surface veins and present as spider veins.

In patients with venous ulcers, there is often an incompetent or non-functioning perforating vein underneath the ulcer. If we can find which veins are not functioning properly and close those off, your body will re-route that blood into veins that are working properly, and that typically will improve the patient’s symptoms as well as the appearance of their legs.

What Our Patients Have To Say

“I’m a MI native living out in CA, so I wear shorts and bikini’s often but my leg veins have pretty much always been an issue for me. Spending time in MI during COVID I was able to have the pleasure of working with the dream team! Brian, Diana, Carrie, Kate, and Karen! My veins were evaluated medically first and once I was cleared with no problems we started the cosmetic journey. So far, I love my results and will continue to work with Northern MI Vein Specialists as long as I am in MI! Thank you for calming my nerves and making this an easy painless procedure. The only downfall is I wish I would have done this years ago!”

Are Varicose Vein Treatments Covered By Insurance?

Treatment is generally covered by insurance. Dr. Heeringa can see patients from Traverse City, Cadillac, Big Rapids, Petoskey, Manistee, and Chaveloix, MI.

Varicose Veins Treatment Options:

Ask Northern Michigan Vein Specialists for more information. Locations in Traverse City & Cadillac, MI.

Before & After

Results

Patient

Testimonials

William Raymond
William Raymond
2023-05-03
Dr Heeringa and his staff went above and beyond in service, from the inital consultation to the procedure and the follow up. The care and concern for my condition were first class, I would recommend this Doctor and Staff to anyone needing this service.
Jessica Rademacher
Jessica Rademacher
2023-04-23
Taking the first step is always the hardest. After meeting the staff and doc, all of my anxiety went away. Everyone is so welcoming and reassuring. They said multiple times that I am in good hands and they can help me. 3 months after my procedure, my legs look unrecognizable!!! I no longer have the constant pain and pressure from my vericose veins , not to mention the sight of my legs is a complete 180 from before! I recommend this office with full certainty that your vein issues will be resolved!!
Carol Grombala
Carol Grombala
2023-03-21
Wonderful Doctor and office staff! I drove from down state to utilize his expertise and so glad that I did so! Results were excellent! I was so impressed with how all procedures were explained in detail as well as what to expect after—this eased any anxiety about having it done. I wish I would have done it sooner! This is the place to go for your vein procedures!!
Katie Rainey-Minzey
Katie Rainey-Minzey
2023-01-21
Everyone in the office is very professional and really nice. Dr. Heeringa went into great detail about the procedures he was performing and what to expect before, during, and after treatment so there were no surprises. Within 2 weeks after the first procedure, I had already noticed a difference and my leg felt less "tired" and "heavy" than it had in a very long time. I would highly recommend Dr. Heeringa and would feel comfortable returning to his office if needed in the future.
Chris Lewis
Chris Lewis
2022-12-06
Definitely a five star practice ! Dr. Heeringa and staff are at the top of their field . When my primary doctor talked to me about blood clot concerns in my legs , it was clear I needed to do something. Dr. Heeringa and staff talked to me in detail and showed me the issues with the Veins in my legs . The Doctor then proceeded to fix the problem. I would strongly recommend Northern Michigan Vein Specialists.
Lola
Lola
2022-12-06
Dr. Heeringa and his staff are total professionals. I had several issues with my legs and they quickly assessed what needed to be done with care and expediency. I highly recommend this practice for any Venous conditions you may be experiencing. I had previous procedures done several years ago at a highly acclaimed Metro Detroit Hospital and this experience and result far exceeded the former. Thank you Dr. Heeringa.
Toni Aeschliman
Toni Aeschliman
2022-10-28
Always a pleasant experience when I go to this office. Staff and Dr. Herringa are a pleasure to work with.
Kerrie Walden
Kerrie Walden
2022-09-30
The best vein doctor around!

Schedule a consultation today!

We proudly serve patients from Traverse City, Cadillac, Manistee, Big Rapids, Houghton Lake, Grayling, Sault Ste. Marie MI and surrounding areas with varicose vein treatments. Call today for your consultation at (231) 936-2068 or complete a Contact Form here! You can also find directions to our Traverse City and Cadillac, MI offices by clicking here. We look forward to serving you!

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880 Munson Ave, Suite A, Traverse City, MI 49686

440 Cobb St Cadillac, MI 49601

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