Many people develop varicose veins including men, athletes, pregnant women and those who are generally in good health.  These especially active folks are sometimes surprised to see bulging veins in their legs or to feel discomfort. As you know, when you walk, your leg muscles pump blood back to the heart through one-way valves.  In varicose vein disease, those valves do not work properly and allow some of the blood to flow backwards and pool in our legs, resulting in bulging veins and symptoms such as pain, swelling, heaviness and leg fatigue ( to name a few symptoms).  Athletes sometimes experience aching or throbbing legs after a period of training or activity. If an individual has bulging veins or is suffering from discomfort, treatment may be required to relieve the symptoms.  Diagnostic ultrasound vein mapping should be performed to determine if there are abnormal areas of blood flow in the legs.  If abnormal areas exist, at Minnesota Vein Center these can be treated with endovenous thermal treatment (Radiofequency or CoolTouch Laser Treatment) and other state- of- the art ablation techniques. Endovenous Thermal Ablation (RF or Laser Treatment) is a minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins.  Using the RF or Laser, guided by ultrasound, a small fiber is inserted through the skin into the varicose vein.  Energy is delivered inside the vein, which causes the vein to collapse and seal shut.  Once that vein is closed, the blood reroutes to other healthy veins.  Most patients return to work within a day or two.  Both RF and CoolTouch Laser have the benefit of offering the least disturbance to exercise or training regimens.  Active and athletic people can get back to training in just a few days. If you experience discomfort while training or preparing for future  events such as the Twin Cities Race for the Cure , the Apple Blossom Races or even Grandmas Marathon and Half Marathon, a call to schedule an evaluation for venous disease would be appropriate.