Venous insufficiency is caused by problems in one or more deep leg veins. Normally, valves in your veins keep your blood flowing back towards the heart so it does not collect in one place. Varicose veins have valves that are either missing or damaged. This causes the veins to remain filled with blood, especially when you are standing. There also might be a blockage in a vein from a clot known as deep vein thrombosis.

Patients suffering from edema often have a complex set of medical issues and require highly specialized care, especially if there is wound involvement. Our services, under the direction of Kim Marshall, DPT, who is a certified lymphedema specialist, brings a wealth of clinical experience combined with current and advanced wound care protocols to create personalized programs to help reduce swelling, prevent and/or reduce wounds, all in an effort to restore health and avoid hospitalizations. Providing education for home self-management is a key component of the treatment process. To ensure continuity of care, Kim often collaborates with a patient’s medical team when needed.

Physical therapy wound care is for patients who have open wounds as a result of pressure, vascular insufficiency, trauma, surgery, and/or diabetes. The most common wounds that are treated by wound care physical therapist are:

• Necrotic wounds
• Stage III, IV or unstageable pressure ulcers
• Diabetic wounds
• Chronic wounds
• Venous and/or arterial wounds
• Extremity wounds with edema
• Non-healing surgical wounds