Walk it Out

A step-by-step guide to relieve leg pain

During exercise, pain is typically a red flag. But if you are one of the eight to 10 million Americans who has peripheral arterial disease (PAD) – a buildup of plaque in the leg arteries that causes them to harden and narrow – a little pain is to be expected as you work to improve your symptoms.

“The number one symptom of PAD is cramping or pain in the legs during walking,” says Cindy Parnell, exercise physiologist with UVA’s Club Red Clinic. “So, of course, those who have PAD are limited in how far and how long they can walk.”

Go the distance–pain free
Because those with PAD have an elevated risk of experiencing the effects of coronary artery disease such as a heart attack or stroke, any type of exercise is beneficial. But, says Parnell, walking is the best way to alleviate symptoms, improve your overall mobility and allow you to go farther, longer and faster, without pain.

Build new blood vessels
PAD pain, or claudication, is a signal that blood flow and oxygen needed for the working muscles are being restricted by narrowed arteries. During a period of rest, the pain subsides. As you establish a walking routine, the distance you are able to walk prior to the onset of pain will increase because new blood vessels will form and your leg muscles will be conditioned to use oxygen more efficiently.

Get relief from PAD
Establish a walking regimen with these tips from the American College of Sports Medicine:

• Walk on a treadmill or track, preferably under physician supervision at onset of regimen
• Walk at a pace that elicits pain after 3 to 5 minutes of movement
• Continue to walk until pain, or claudication, is at its absolute peak
• Rest until pain has subsided completely
• Continue intervals until you reach a total of 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, depending on tolerance; increase by 5 minutes each cycle until goal is reached

By maintaining an exercise regimen, eating right and not smoking, it may be possible to stop the progression of PAD, says Parnell. “It’s about aggressive lifestyle management.”