Varicose Veins

Varicose Veins

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Pine Bark Extract [1, 8, 9, 10]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: weakly in favor  (Early studies indicate potential for Pine bark extract in the treatment of varicose veins, but more clinical studies need to be done)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica, Hydrocotyle Asiatica)[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor(A few clinical trials have shown that Gotu Kola may be helpful in reducing the effects of varicose veins. However, further research is needed)

Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence

Bilberry

Recommendation: No recommendation

Level of evidence: very low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Winston, D., Maimes, S., Adaptogens: Herbs For Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, 2007, pp. 226-7

3. "A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study on the Effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on Acoustic Startle Response in Healthy Subjects". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 20(6):680-684, December 2000. Bradwejn, Jacques MD, FRCPC *; Zhou, Yueping MD, PhD ++; Koszycki, Diana PhD *; Shlik, Jakov MD, PhD

4.  B. M. Hausen (1993) "Centella asiatica (Indian pennywort), an effective therapeutic but a weak sensitizer." Contact Dermatitis 29 (4), 175–179 doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1993.tb03532.x

5. Cataldo, A., Gasbarro, V., et al., "Effectiveness of the Combination of Alpha Tocopherol, Rutin, Melilotus, and Centella asiatica in The Treatment of Patients With Chronic Venous Insufficiency", Minerva Cardioangiology, 2001, Apr; 49(2):159-63

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotu_kola#Medicinal_effects

7. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/gotu-kola

8. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00214032

9. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pine-bark-extract

10. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-pycnogenol.html

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