To call your legs hard-working areas of your body would be an understatement, which also puts them in the line of fire for any number of painful conditions. If your leg pain stems from a cardiovascular issue, there is cause for concern, which makes recognizing the problem important.
To help in that regard, Dr. Ariel Soffer and our team of cardiovascular experts here at the Soffer Health Institute, pulled together the following list of potential vascular-related causes of leg pain.
Abbreviated as PAD, peripheral artery disease is one of the more usual suspects when it comes to cardiovascular-related leg pain. With PAD, your circulation is hampered by blockages of plaque in your arteries, the blood vessels that deliver oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to your body. The symptoms of this problem often develop in places that are farthest from your heart, such as your legs.
In fact, leg pain is the primary symptom of PAD, which usually presents itself in the form of cramping in your hips, thighs, and/or calves. This occurs because your muscles aren’t getting the oxygen they need for optimal function. At first, this pain may only come on when you’re exercising, but as your PAD progresses, you may feel pain even at rest.
While most people think of varicose veins as a cosmetic concern, these bulging veins can also lead to leg pain. This condition typically develops due to chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition in which the tiny valves in the veins in your legs aren’t functioning properly, allowing blood to spill backward.
While most varicose veins aren’t painful, problematic ones can lead to a dull ache in your leg, as well as slow-to-heal ulcers.
Varicose veins are one of the more obvious signs of chronic vein insufficiency, but they don’t always develop.
You can have CVI without varicose veins, but still experience:
With or without varicose veins, if you develop discomfort and other symptoms in your legs, it’s time to seek our help.
If you’re experiencing leg pain, it could be due to a clot in one of your deep veins — or deep vein thrombosis. In addition to the pain and tenderness, you may also notice redness or tightness in the area where the blood clot is located, as well as swelling and a warmer-than-normal surface temperature in your skin.
This condition requires immediate attention, so we urge you to come see us if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms.
As you can see by this list, vascular-related leg pain should be cause for concern, as each of these conditions can lead to very serious complications.
When you come in, we fully assess your vascular health to pinpoint the problem so that we can bring you relief from your leg pain as quickly as possible.
It’s impossible to describe here what your treatment plan will look like since it depends on what we find. Rest assured that no matter the vascular issue, we have the resources, technology, and expertise necessary to get you on the road to better health.
If you’re experiencing leg pain and you suspect it may be related to your heart health, contact one of our offices in Weston, Aventura, Florida, to set up an appointment.
