What is Claudication pain?
Claudication is pain in the calf or thigh muscle that occurs after you have walked a certain distance. The pain stops after you rest for a while. Each time the pain occurs, it takes about the same amount of time for the pain to go away after you stop walking. Claudication occurs because not enough blood is flowing to a muscle due to disease of the blood vessels supplying blood to the area i.e. PAD. The artery that normally supplies blood to the muscle gets narrow and less blood can flow through the artery. When resting, enough blood flows to the muscle to meet the needs of the muscle. To check for claudication your doctor will check the pulses in the arteries in your legs. He or she may use a stethoscope to listen to the sound of your blood going through your arteries. Your doctor may hear a noise, called a bruit, which may be a warning to your doctor that there is a narrow area in the artery. What tests should be done for diagnosing PAD? Your doctor may order a test to check the blood
