Paul Maurice turned to Inspira Rehab Services for pain relief and mobility after an ankle injury. He...
Read MoreClaudication or Vascular claudication is often a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that reduces blood flow to the limbs and can affect your mobility and overall health.
What Is Claudication?
Claudication is pain, cramping or fatigue in the legs or buttocks that occurs during physical activity like walking and is relieved by rest. This symptom is caused by reduced blood flow to muscles during exertion, usually resulting from a narrowing or blockage in the arteries.
Claudication is most commonly associated with PAD, a condition caused by plaque buildup in the arteries that supply the limbs. As muscles work harder and demand more oxygen, restricted blood flow can't keep up, leading to discomfort or weakness. Over time, claudication can limit mobility and may indicate a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke if left untreated.
Types of Claudication
There are different forms of claudication, depending on which arteries are affected and how the pain presents:
- Intermittent claudication: The most common type, involving muscle pain (usually in the calves) that comes on with walking or exercise and improves with rest
- Neurogenic claudication: Caused by nerve compression in the spine, leading to similar leg pain that is relieved by bending forward or sitting
- Atypical claudication: Pain in the legs or other areas that may stem from a mix of vascular and nonvascular causes
Claudication Risk Factors
Claudication risk factors are similar to those for PAD. These include smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, age and a family history of cardiovascular disease. Men and people assigned male at birth are slightly more likely to develop claudication, but the risk increases for everyone with age and underlying vascular conditions.
What Are the Symptoms of Claudication?
Claudication symptoms typically appear during physical activity and improve with rest. Symptoms affect the legs or lower body and may include:
- Muscle weakness or heaviness in the affected limb
- Coldness or numbness in the lower leg or foot
- A slower walking speed or needing to stop frequently
- Pain that persists at rest, which could signify a more severe case or worsening PAD
- Pain, cramping or fatigue in the calves, thighs, buttocks or feet during walking or exercise
- Discomfort that goes away with rest and returns when activity resumes
How Is Claudication Diagnosed?
A physical exam and detailed symptom history help guide testing. Doctors may use an ankle-brachial index (ABI) to compare blood pressure in the arms and legs, revealing reduced circulation. Other tests may include a Doppler ultrasound, arterial imaging (CT or MR angiography) or treadmill testing, which tracks symptoms during activity. These tools help confirm whether restricted blood flow is cause of the leg pain and guide treatment planning.
two
Claudication Treatment Options
Lifestyle Changes
Quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet and managing your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar can slow disease progression and reduce symptoms.
Medications
Therapies such as cilostazol can help improve walking distance, while others can help manage contributing factors like high cholesterol or blood pressure.
Supervised Exercise Therapy
Regular, structured walking programs can improve your walking distance without pain and help your body use oxygen more efficiently.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
If symptoms don’t improve, balloon angioplasty and/or stenting may be used to open narrowed arteries and restore blood flow. In more advanced cases, your doctor may recommend bypass surgery to create a new path around blocked arteries.
Our Approach to Claudication Treatment
At Inspira, we offer expert care for claudication with a focus on lasting relief and better mobility. Our vascular specialists collaborate with a network of cardiologists, primary care physicians, physical therapists, diabetes specialists and more to create tailored treatment plans that target both symptoms and underlying causes like PAD. We use advanced diagnostics and evidence-based therapies to help restore circulation and reduce leg pain. Our team guides you from your first visit through ongoing support, empowering you to move confidently and enjoy a more active life.
