What causes vascular claudication?

What causes vascular claudication?

All the cells in your body require oxygen to function. When you’re more active, even just for a light walk, the cells in your muscles need more oxygen to do their job. People who have circulation problems can experience pain when they’re more active because their muscles need more oxygen than their circulation provides. The pain goes away when they rest because their circulation can again keep up with the lower oxygen demand. This type of pain is most common in your legs, but can also happen in your arms.

Claudication is a classic symptom of peripheral artery disease (known as PAD for short), which is a narrowing of the blood vessels in your legs, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis both increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Claudication is also a concern because the pain it causes when walking or exercising often keeps people from being active, which only makes the claudication worse.