Everything about Claudication totally explained
Claudication, literally '
limping' (
Latin), is used as a
medical term in various contexts. It is also used figuratively.
Intermittent claudication
Intermittent claudication (Latin: claudicatio intermittens) usually refers to cramplike pains in the legs (usually the calf muscles, but may be in the thigh muscles) caused by poor
circulation of the
blood to the leg muscles.
Treatment
The treatment of intermittent claudication is treatment of the
vascular insufficiency (inadequate arterial blood supply). The most important step is to stop smoking, and many patients find an almost immediate relief of their symptoms with
smoking cessation; exercise is another mainstay of treatment. Medical treatment is often insufficient to relieve symptoms, but does help to prevent the disease from getting worse: patients are usually prescribed medicine to lower risk from cardiovascular disease, such as low-dose
aspirin, a
statin and an
antihypertensive (medication to lower the blood pressure). Surgical treatment is the mainstay for patients with severe disease.
Prognosis
Prognosis for patients with peripheral vascular disease due to
atherosclerosis is poor. Patients with intermittent claudication due to atherosclerosis tend to die from
cardiovascular disease (for example, heart attacks), because the same disease that affects their legs is usually present also in the arteries of the heart.
Spinal claudication/ neurogenic claudication
Spinal claudication/ neurogenic claudication isn't due to lack of blood supply, but is instead the pain felt on exertion by patients whose leg pain is caused by nerve root compression, due to stenosis of the spinal canal, usually from a degenerative spine. It may be differentiated from arterial claudication in that it's often only relieved by sitting down, whereas in arterial claudication standing at rest is usually sufficient to relieve the pain; weakness is also a prominent feature of spinal claudication that isn't usually present in intermittent claudication.
Jaw claudication
Jaw claudication is pain in the
jaw or
ear while
chewing. This is caused by insufficiency of the arteries supplying the jaw muscles. The most common cause is
temporal arteritis.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Claudication'.
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