I have bulging veins on my foot ever since I tore a hamstring.?

Question

I saw a doctor after a pressing pain in my knee for two weeks. The doctor told me I tore a hamstring and he put off swimming for a month (tore my hamstring swimming) and gave vitamin B to strengthen the veins and a muscle relaxant. I was also required to wear a knee guard indefinitely per doctor's instructions.

At first there were no problems, but after a while I realized that when I got home from school and took off my shoes, I can feel the veins in the same foot I sprained the hamstring on start to swell if I left the knee guard on. I stopped eating the medicine the doctor gave me, but it still bulged. I also realized the veins on my foot does not bulge when I am wearing socks and shoes or if I'm constantly moving it. I do not mind seeing bulging veins, but I can feel the veins bulging and it's quite disturbing. I've also had toe cramps twice. Does anyone know what is wrong? This particular vein runs from between my big and second toe to my ankle. As in the Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation method, the elevation bit does not help. Advice or home remedies is appreciated but I will see a doctor again if needed.

P.S. My ankle is not affected by the torn hamstring. It was torn around my knee area.

Answer 1

The vein which you refer to as bulging is a tributary of the long saphenous vein that travels along the medial side of the leg.

This tributary is a vein that often gets distended due to several reasons. Firstly it is one of the veins at the lowest position of the body. An inefficiency of a valve  and a lack of tone in your calf muscle and hamstrings may be impeding the upward flow of blood in this vein, The earlier injury to the hamstring would have done some temporary damage to the venous return and  the knee guard would have had an added effect.

But the kneeguard was really essential for the healing of  the injury to the hamstrings.

You say that the doctor had advised to use the kneeguard indefinitely,

And you say when you use the socks alone the bulge does not occur.

Is the kneeguard too tight. You have to review this with the doctor.

But I believe that the problem regarding the vein is not something  major.

Even without the problem you had, this particular vein can get distended as it is at the lowest point of due to lack of regular exercise,  or  when one stands for long hours.

Try some daily exercises where you raise your lower limbs against a wall  before going to sleep. If the doctor advises stop using the knee guard  and use elastic stocking or use an elastic stocking with a less tight kneeguard.

If you meet a vascular surgeon you can get more information regarding the distended veins.

I am a medical doctor.