Leg pain and peripheral vascular disease
Leg pain can come and go but leg pain that never really goes away is a problem that affects many people as they get older. A common cause of chronic leg pain is poor circulation. The medical name for this condition is Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD). PVD is the narrowing of the arteries (blood vessels) that supply blood to various parts of the body. It often affects the arteries that supply blood to the legs, leading to a circulation disorder in the lower limbs which is commonly experienced as pain or cramping in the leg. If not treated, PVD can seriously impair a person’s ability to walk.
PVD is caused by a build-up of fatty deposits
- The narrowing of the arteries (stenosis) is caused by atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits – sometimes called plaques or lesions – on the inside walls (linings) of the blood vessels. As these deposits build up, they cause narrowing of the vessel.
- When the arteries that carry blood to your legs become too narrow, blood flow is reduced and your leg muscles don’t get enough oxygen to support physical activity and you will experience pain. This is called ischaemia.