A cramp-like pain in a muscle, most often in the legs, due to inadequate blood supply. Claudication in the legs is usually caused by blockage or narrowing of arteries du to atherosclerosis (see peripheral vascular disease). A rarer cause is spinal stenosis. In intermittent claudication, pain is felt in the calves after walking a certain distance and is relieved by rest.
A cramp-like pain that occurs in the legs on walking. It may cause the sufferer to limp or, if severe, stop him or her from walking. The usual cause is narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs due to ATHEROSCLEROSIS: smoking is a contributary factor. Intermittent claudication occurs when a person has to stop every so often to let the pain – caused by the build-up of waste products in the muscles – to subside. The condition may be improved by exercise, for example, for an hour a day (resting when the pain starts). Pentoxifylline, a vasodilator, may help, as may CALCIUM-CHANNEL BLOCKERS. Patients must avoid all tobacco products.
n. limping. Intermittent claudication is a cramping pain, induced by exercise and relieved by rest, that is caused by an inadequate supply of blood to the affected muscles. It is most often seen in the calf and leg muscles as a result of *atheroma of the leg arteries. The leg pulses are often absent and the feet may be cold. The treatment is that of atheroma.
A condition occurring in middle-aged and elderly people, which is characterised by pain in the legs after walking a certain distance. The pain is relieved by resting for a short time. It is due to arteriosclerosis (see ARTERIES, DISEASES OF) of the arteries to the leg, which results in inadequate blood supply to the muscles. Drugs usually have little e?ect in easing the pain, but useful preventive measures are to stop smoking, reduce weight (if overweight), and to take as much exercise as possible within the limits imposed by the pain.... intermittent claudication
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