Varicose ulcer pain and its treatment

Varicose ulcer arises from various causes. One of the most common causes of the ulcer is venous insufficiency. The origin is dependent

on many factors. These include innate disposition, age, obesity, diabetes, thrombosis, hormonal therapy, and to a large extent a patient’s

lifestyle. The healing of venous ulcers is very difficult, despite modern available wound treatment methods. Relapses are frequently

observed. Pain is one of the clinical symptoms. Its intensity is individual. It may be continuous, worsened during the dressing procedure.

The pain is often caused by the elevated or hanging position of limbs. Pain disturbs sleep. In most cases the pain is being neglected during

the treatment, despite the pain contributes to the deterioration of the ulcer patient’s quality of life. Consistent treatment of chronic

pain improves quality of life, but it can also improve the immune system and healing of the wounds. The reduction of pain during the

dressing procedure allows for better treatment of the ulcer. In the Czech literature there is much attention devoted to the treatment of

venous leg ulcers with the best practices formulated, however the attention to the pain treatment itself is missing.

Keywords: varicose ulcer, venous ulcer, pain, opioids, non opioid analgesics