Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a prevalent pathology, with some typical
signs and symptoms that cause significant socio-economic cost and impact on quality of
life. Pain, despite being a recurrent symptom in this pathology, has scarcely been
studied. Compression therapy is the standard method for non-invasive CVI treatment;
however, it has been indicated that the patient seldom follows this type of treatment.
Kinesio Taping is a new technique of neuromuscular bandaging that can affect
muscular and joint function, decrease pain and influence lymph and venous circulation.
No previous studies have been found on the application of this bandaging on patients
with CVI.
The main objectives of this doctoral thesis are to describe the characteristics of
pain in postmenopausal women with CVI and its relationship with risk factors; and
assessing the efficacy of two application of neuromuscular bandaging (Kinesio Taping
[KT]) on musculoskeletal alterations, specific venous symptomatology, pain, severity
and quality of life in postmenopausal women at short-term risk of severe CVI (CEAP
C1-C3).
A total of 259 patients with initial CVI and 40 healthy women that fulfilled the
criteria for inclusion participated in the studies for this thesis.
The main findings and conclusions are: a) postmenopausal women with CVI
present intense pathological pain and lowered nociceptive thresholds, suggesting that
there is central sensitization; the pain is principally related with peripheral venous reflux
and with the pain and functional limitation induced by knee or hip osteoarthritis; b) the
use of the Pain Matcher device seems to be a valid technique for assessing chronic
venous pain; c) applying standardised bandaging with KT in postmenopausal women at
short-term risk of severe CVI can reduce the specific venous symptomatology, pain and
clinical severity and increase the bioelectric activity of the gastrocnemius muscle; d) the
method of mixed KT-peripheral compression seems to improve ankle dorsiflexion
during walking, gait parameters, peripheral venous flow, specific venous
symptomatology, foot and malleolar oedema, pain, clinical severity and quality of life,while it increases the general state of health slightly, in postmenopausal women at risk
of short-term severe CVI; and e) KT can have a placebo effect on venous pain.
Our findings help to clarify the mechanisms involved in pain from CVI and
support the use of KT as an alternative bandaging technique for managing the
symptoms associated with venous pathology in initial stages.Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Medicina Legal, Toxicología y Antropología Física