That Pain in the Leg Could Be Serious

 

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (November 18, 2016) – While pain in your legs while walking is often caused by sore or tired muscles, it can also be a symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a narrowing of one or more arteries that supply blood to the legs. PAD often goes undiagnosed since leg pain has many possible causes.

 

“If plaque in the arteries is creating a blockage to blood flow, the muscles won’t get enough blood during exercise,” said Justin Boccardo, M.D., board-certified vascular surgeon with Bayfront Health Medical Group. "The cramped feeling is called intermittent claudication, and is the body’s way of warning you that there isn’t enough blood coming through to meet your muscles’ increasing needs during physical activity.”

 

Many people with PAD go undiagnosed because they either have no symptoms at all, or they mistake the symptoms for something else.

 

“PAD can be tricky, because the pain often goes away once you stop exercising,” said Boccardo. “The patient tends to blame the activity instead of the underlying cause, and may fail to seek treatment for a long period of time, which can be dangerous. PAD is also a marker for cerebrovascular accident (CVA) risk, also referred to as a stroke, and heart attack risk. Even with minimal symptoms of PAD, one can be seriously affected by plaque elsewhere. PAD identification, even with minimal or no symptoms, should prompt vascular surgery evaluation to determine the degree of stenosis of other arteries.”

 

People also tend to dismiss leg pain as a normal sign of aging, assuming it’s arthritis, sciatica, or just stiffness. To start, it’s helpful to consider the source of your pain. PAD leg pain occurs in the muscles, not the joints. If you have diabetes, you might confuse PAD pain with neuropathy – a common diabetic symptom that causes a burning discomfort in the feet or thighs.

 

Other PAD symptoms can include:

 

If you suspect you might have PAD, the first step is a physical examination with your Vascular or Primary Care physician. The exam will likely start with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test that compares the blood pressure in your feet to the blood pressure in your arms to establish how well your blood is flowing in the lower body. The test takes only a few minutes, and ideally the ankle pressure is at least 90 percent of the arm pressure. With severe narrowing, it may be even less than 50 percent. If your ratio is abnormal, you may be encouraged to undergo more testing, including Doppler and Ultrasound (Duplex) Imaging, CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) or Angiography.

 

Medicines can be used to manage PAD, but the best method of preventing and managing PAD is regular, moderate exercise. Walk until the pain develops, rest for a few minutes, and then resume walking once the pain eases. Keep this up for at least 30 minutes each day. The pain isn’t damaging to the muscles, and over time the distance you can walk without pain will increase.

 

It’s important not to ignore the possibility of peripheral artery disease as the source of your pain. PAD is more than a discomfort or inconvenience – untreated PAD can lead to a greater risk of heart attack or stroke, and even to the loss of a leg.

 

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Boccardo who can help identify the source of your leg pain, call 941-833-1580 or visit BayfrontHealthMedGroup.com. For your convenience, Dr. Boccardo has offices in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. 

 

While pain in your legs while walking is often caused by sore or tired muscles, it can also be a symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Free.

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