Claudication causes discomfort in your thigh, calf, or buttocks while walking. It has the potential to make you limp. It’s possible that it’s a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD). When your arteries are restricted or clogged, blood flow to your legs is reduced. Dr. Dev Mishra Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon practicing at Shreya Hospital in Ghaziabad have expertise in treating Claudication.

The Claudication discomfort appears when you walk a particular distance and then disappears when you rest. However, as the condition progresses, discomfort may arise when walking shorter distances. Because the agony is so extreme, you may eventually be unable to walk.

Claudication has been related to a number of health issues, including an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. As a result, you should be evaluated for artery disease in other regions of your body and may be treated.

Causes of Claudication

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is very common, mainly in people over age 50. PAD is caused by narrowed or blocked arteries in the legs or in the body’s main artery (the aorta). This can reduce blood flow to muscles in your calf, thigh, or buttocks. This decreased blood flow may cause the pain that leads to claudication.

The blockage usually happens because of narrowed and hardened arteries (atherosclerosis). This is caused by plaque build-up inside the arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances in the blood. This plaque build-up can also affect your heart arteries. It can lead to chest pain or a heart attack.

Blockages in the leg are most common in the thigh and behind the knee. But they can also occur in other parts of the body such as the aorta, groin, or belly. You can have more than 1 blockage.

Typical symptoms include:

• Pain, a burning feeling, or a tired feeling in the legs and buttocks when you walk
• Shiny, hairless, blotchy foot skin that may get sores
• The leg is pale when raised (elevated) and red when lowered
• Cold feet
• Impotence in men
• Leg pain at night in bed

Pain when you are resting is a sign that your blocked arteries have become worse.

Claudication symptoms may look like other health conditions. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.