What is intermittent claudication?
Intermittent claudication is the tight cramp like pain felt typically in the calf muscle on walking when the blood supply to the lower limb is limited. Walking up hill, carrying a heavy bag or rushing all shorten the claudication distance.
Most patients either stay the same or improve and only a small minority (5%) progress to critical limb ischaemia. Diabetics and patients who continue to smoke have a worse prognosis.
Exercise
Many patients can cure their intermittent claudication by walking as much as possible. Supervised exercise programs are highly effective.Drugs
Pletal (generic name cilostazol) is a very interesting drug which is very helpful for some patients who have intermittent claudication. Walking distance can be improved significantly.
Surgery
This is particularly so for blockages and narrowings of the common femoral artery in the groin which is easily accessible surgically and not readily treated with angioplasty. Here a localised endarterectomy to remove the block may be the best treatment. Other surgical techniques are effective to remove or bypass blockages or the iliac and femoral arteries.