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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Claudication is pain caused by too little blood flow, especially during exercise. Sometimes called intermittent claudication, this condition generally affects the blood vessels in the legs, but claudication can affect the arms too.
At first, you'll probably notice the pain only when you're exercising, but as claudication worsens, the pain may affect you even when you're at rest.
Although it's sometimes considered a disease, claudication is technically a symptom of a disease. Most often, claudication is a symptom of peripheral artery disease, a potentially serious but treatable circulation problem.
Fortunately, with treatment, you may be able to maintain an active lifestyle without pain.
- Mohler ER. Clinical features, diagnosis, and natural history of lower extremity
- peripheral arterial disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Arm artery disease. Society for Vascular Surgery. http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Arm_Artery_Disease.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- PAD — Peripheral arterial disease and claudication. Society for Vascular Surgery. http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Claudication.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Peripheral artery disease. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec07/ch080/ch080f.html. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Hiatt WR, et al. Pathophysiology of intermittent claudication. In: Creager MA, et al. Vascular Medicine: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease. Philadelphia, Pa.; Saunders Elsevier: 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0284-4..50021-X&uniq=168838833&isbn=978-0-7216-0284-4&sid=911701564#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-7216-0284-4..50001-4%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-7216-0284-4. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Murphy TP, et al. The CLEVER (Claudication: Exercise vs. endoluminal revascularization study): Rationale and methods. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2008;47:1356
- Wennberg PW, et al. Diagnosis and management of diseases of the peripheral arteries and veins. In: Fuster V, et al. In: Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.; McGraw-Hill Medical: 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3076431. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Michel T. Treatment of myocardial ischemia. In: Brunton LL, et al. Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 11th edition. New York, N.Y.; McGraw-Hill Medical: 2006. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=944592. Accessed Nov. 3, 2009.
- Gey DC, et al. Management of peripheral arterial disease. American Family Physician. 2004;69:525.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 13, 2009.
- Anderson CA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 5, 2009.
