At CardioVascular Health Clinic, your heart health matters to us.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with claudication or are experiencing new or worsening symptoms consistent with the condition, schedule an appointment today.
Here, we describe claudication, including its common symptoms, tie to PAD, and effective treatment options.
Claudication is a cardiovascular-related condition that causes muscle pain or cramping in an extremity, usually the legs, that results from insufficient blood flow. It occurs most often in the calves, thighs, and buttocks.
Claudication is characterized by symptoms like:
Even before being diagnosed as claudication, peripheral artery disease will present one or more of the following additional symptoms:
Claudication is generally triggered by a lack of oxygen to the muscles.
Claudication is often called “intermittent claudication” because it usually isn’t constant. Most often, pain occurs when sufferers walk for an extended period and subside after resting. These intervals can change over time as the condition becomes more or less severe.
Rather than being a disease, claudication is technically a symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
PAD often results from atherosclerosis, an arterial disease in which cholesterol, fat, scar tissue, and other substances clog artery walls and obstruct blood flow. Though the relationship between atherosclerosis, PAD, and claudication isn’t always precise, they have a common progression. Blood vessels are clogged due to atherosclerosis, which leads to restricted blood flow in limbs (PAD), leading to pain from that restricted blood flow (claudication).
Typically, claudication only occurs during exercise because limited blood flow is sufficient at rest. As a result, people with PAD often abstain from exercise, believing it to be the root of the problem. Unfortunately, this assumption often causes claudication to worsen.
Risk factors for claudication closely match those for both PAD and atherosclerosis and include:
While you cannot completely prevent claudication or PAD from developing, there are several ways to reduce the risk of developing either condition.
Without obstructed blood vessels, atherosclerosis will not develop. In addition, without atherosclerosis, PAD and claudication are far less likely.
The most effective ways to reduce your risk of claudication include:
Diagnosis for claudication depends on physical examinations, skin evaluations of affected limbs, and blood flow tests.
Some specific claudication tests include:
If you’ve been diagnosed with claudication, a personalized treatment plan may consist of:
Treatment for claudication concentrates on
The team of specialists at CardioVascular Health Clinic is experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide range of vascular pain and disorders.
With a patient-centered approach, using the latest technology and methods, our physicians are committed to helping restore your quality of life.
You don’t have to live with pain. Call CardioVascular Health Clinic today at (405) 701-9880 to schedule an appointment today.