If intense exercise like long-distance running or sprinting is a part of your daily routine, you may experience restricted blood flow to the limbs. This usually results in leg pain, which is most often due to walking long distances at a consistent pace without resting.
In such cases, severe conditions like unbearable weather can make matters worse. The pain may worsen while exercising but subsides when you rest. But if intermittent claudication grows worse over time, the pain may persist even when you’re resting.
You should seek medical support if you are suffering from intermittent claudication. At Pensler Vein and Vascular Surgeon Institute, you can receive necessary medical care and treatment for your vascular conditions and medical issues.
What Happens in Intermittent Claudication?
Most often, leg pain occurs due to a lack of oxygen during activity. This is because the body is using oxygen at a higher rate than it is gaining it. Hence, pain in the muscles and blood vessels emerges. This condition is an early sign of multiple medical conditions, such as PAD, because it represents blood vessel blockage near your legs and other peripherals.
When arteries in your legs suffer from a blockage, plaque starts building up on their walls. Plaque comprises cholesterol, calcium, and fat, which are common components of the bloodstream.
This combination of harmful substances can affect the blood flow while damaging the arterial walls and structure. Hence, the blockage adversely affects the supply of oxygen towards the muscles in your legs.
Symptoms of Intermittent Claudication
In simple words, claudication occurs when there is a lack of oxygen in the muscles due to activity levels, and relief only occurs when the body rests. Symptoms of it include:
- Hip/feet/thighs/butt/calves pain
- Muscle pain when you use them for movement
- Pain that goes away after resting
- Forearms/shoulders/biceps pain
This pain can become more frequent and may persist during rest if you fail to address the condition. Other advanced-stage symptoms include:
- Skin discoloration
- Wounds not healing
- Cool skin
- Constant pain along with muscle numbness
Causes of Intermittent Claudication
Here are some causes of intermittent claudication that worsen the condition or may cause it in the first place:
- Baker’s cyst
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Chronic compartmental syndrome
- Muscle strains
- Hip/ankle/knee arthritis
- Nerve root compression
- Fibromuscular dysplasia
- Deep venous thrombosis
Conclusion
Intermittent Claudication is a growing concern that can affect a person’s lifestyle at a rapid rate. Since it relates to the narrowing of the arteries inside the legs, you will require support and medical care from one of the best vein and vascular surgeons in the field.
For that, you can visit the Pensler Vein and Vascular Surgical Institute. Dr. Elizabeth Pensler can help you find the right solution to your Intermittent Claudication complications with the latest guidance and technology at hand.
Reference Links:
https://www.healthline.com/health/intermittent-claudication#differential-diagnosis
