I vividly remember talking to a registered nurse a few years ago. Due to heredity, several pregnancies and a work environment that kept her on her feet for extended periods of time, this woman had developed a case of varicose vein disease that was so painful that she needed medical intervention to continue living a normal, pain-free life.

Unfortunately for her, when she needed help years ago, the only thing that was available was venous ligation — or vein stripping. Chances are, you’ve had a mother, an aunt, or possibly a distant cousin that went through this horrific procedure. The nurse I spoke to described the hundreds of sutures on each leg and she spoke of countless weeks of healing.

Gratefully, those days are past.

Today, doctors and practitioners use diagnostic ultrasound to thoroughly and completely map the entire venous system of the leg. Diseased veins are clearly identified and a variety of procedures discussed. What you won’t hear, is any talk about vein ligation or hospital stays. What you will hear about are procedures that are performed within the clinic — procedures that are minimally invasive and more effective than outdated, barbaric treatments of the past.

You will come to know that insurance will most likely cover the costs of the procedures. You’ll come to know that treatment is typically a single, short appointment for each vein that is diseased. You’ll be told that you’ll walk in for your appointment and a little more than an hour later, you’ll exit the same way you entered with the diseased vein completely treated and the pain that vein caused permanently eliminated. You’ll also be told that within 24 hours, you will return to full activity. Only this time, pain-free.

The gift of medically-advanced intervention is a miraculous thing. What used to be dreadful has turned into something that is doable. And all the while, the beneficiary is you — and your life without the ongoing pain you feel from the veins in your legs.