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Peripheral Artery
Disease (PAD)

Experiencing Leg Pain or Cramping While Walking?

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Understanding Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is more than a circulation problem in the legs—it is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis. The same disease process that affects the arteries of the legs can also affect the heart and brain, which is why PAD is an important marker of overall cardiovascular risk.

Progressive PAD can reduce walking ability, physical activity, strength, and mobility, sometimes leading to significant disability.

Advanced PAD can threaten the limb. Severe disease may cause rest pain, nonhealing wounds, ulcers, or gangrene and can ultimately result in amputation.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Overview Illustration

Symptoms of PAD

Intermittent Claudication

Painful leg muscle cramping in calves or thighs while walking or climbing stairs that subsides with a few minutes of rest.

Coldness in Lower Leg or Foot

Distinct temperature difference where one leg or foot feels significantly colder than the other due to poor arterial supply.

Slow-Healing Foot Ulcers

Sores or wounds on toes, feet, or ankles that heal very slowly or fail to heal over weeks.

Hair Loss & Shiny Leg Skin

Loss of hair on toes and lower legs along with smooth, shiny, or pale/bluish skin changes.

Weak or Absent Leg Pulses

Diminished femoral, popliteal, or pedal pulses detected by a cardiologist during physical exam.

Ischemic Rest Pain

Severe burning foot pain occurring at night while lying flat, relieved by dangling the leg over the bed edge.

Diagnosis

Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)

Compares blood pressure readings between your ankles and arms; a score below 0.9 points to PAD.

Exercise ABI Test

Measures blood pressure changes before and after walking on a treadmill.

Doppler Ultrasound

Uses sound waves to view blood flow and spot blocked vessels.

Angiography

Uses specialized imaging and contrast dye to map out exact blockages in the arteries.

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Diagnostic Testing Infographic

Treatment

Treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD) focuses on improving blood flow, relieving symptoms, protecting your legs, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. The right approach depends on the severity of the disease, your symptoms, and your overall health.

Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET)

Treatment

Structured treadmill walking program to build collateral blood vessel pathways and increase pain-free walking distance.

Endovascular Balloon Angioplasty

Procedure

A tiny catheter with a balloon tip is navigated to the blocked leg artery and inflated to push plaque against arterial walls.

Atherectomy

Procedure

Advanced catheter-based devices that gently shave, debulk, or vaporize hardened plaque blockages directly from the arterial wall.

Lithotripsy

Procedure

Uses localized sonic pressure waves (intravascular lithotripsy) to crack and modify tough, deeply calcified arterial blockages before ballooning or stenting.

Peripheral Arterial Stenting

Procedure

Placement of a metallic mesh stent to scaffold narrowed leg arteries open and ensure durable long-term blood flow.

Our goal is to choose the least invasive treatment that can safely improve your circulation and help you stay active.

Frequently Asked Questions

PAD is a circulatory condition where atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the arteries supplying blood to the legs and arms. The resulting vessel narrowing impairs circulation, causing leg muscle pain during walking (claudication).
The ABI is a simple, non-invasive diagnostic test that compares blood pressure measured at your ankle with blood pressure measured at your arm. An ABI ratio below 0.90 indicates arterial blockage and peripheral artery disease.
Yes. Severe untreated PAD can progress to Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI), characterized by severe rest pain, non-healing foot ulcers, gangrene, and high risk of limb amputation. Early interventional diagnosis is crucial.
Treatment combines risk factor control (statins, antiplatelets, supervised walking exercise) with minimally invasive endovascular procedures such as balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, intravascular lithotripsy, and arterial stenting.