5 Forms of PAD Leg Pain

PAD leg pain is one of the early signs of Peripheral Arterial Disease, but it also mimics the symptoms of other conditions. Think of it this way: if you have heavy legs, or muscle cramps, you could have just had a long day or pushed yourself too hard at the gym. Or...you could be experiencing symptoms of PAD, caused by limited blood flow to your extremities due to arterial narrowing. So, how can you be certain if your symptoms are caused by PAD or something else? First, speak to a healthcare proffesional about your symptoms. Then, check out the five different types of leg pain with PAD to help you narrow down the cause of your discomfort.

5 Types of PAD Leg Pain

When you're experiencing peripheral artery disease symptoms, your leg pain could take the form of:

1. Claudication. With this symptom, legs start to hurt or burn when you walk, run, or even do something simple like climbing the stairs. When caused by PAD, that discomfort should resolve with rest, and return the next time you're on the move. Here, the pain results from limited circulation to your legs, leaving them an insufficient oxygenated blood supply.
   
2. Heaviness in the legs. While also associated with varicose veins, when heaviness is the result of PAD leg pain, it will likely be combined with claudication and one or more of the symptoms highlighted below.
   
3. Ulcers. When PAD reduces blood flow, that also reduces your healing. As such, you may develop open wounds, even if you only started with a minor scratch or nick.
   
4. Slower hair growth. With this disease, the function of hair cells in your leg could be compromised, leading to slower leg hair growth or even patches of hair loss.
   
5. Coldness in your feet and legs. Also associated with any condition that compromises your circulation, if your legs and feet feel cold and you haven't been hanging out in cooler temperatures, that's a possible sign of PAD, and should be discussed with an arterial specialist.

Minimally Invasive PAD Treatment in Georgia

Aside from PAD leg pain, this disease can also result in changes to the texture or color of your skin; in men, erectile dysfunction could also be a problem. So, if you come into Georgia Endovascular with any of the symptoms highlighted in this post, we will likely perform an Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) to help us determine a peripheral artery disease diagnosis. If your results are abnormal, further imaging tests, including an Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) or Computed Tomography (CT), may help us determine your best treatment plan.

Ready to resolve your leg pain and determine the most approrpriate treatment plan? Time is of the essence, since PAD is a progressive condition. So contact our team today to request a consultation.