The term walking pain; We use it to describe leg pain that can occur even with very short walking distances, resolves with rest but starts again with movement. It is a condition observed by many patients that it occurs with walking a certain distance and passes when resting.
What causes pain, what is the underlying mechanism?
The arteries in our legs function like pipes that carry clean blood to our muscles. In cases where the leg muscles are used intensively, such as walking, the leg arteries expand to meet the increased oxygen and energy needs of the muscles. Plaque formation on the vessel wall, which we call atherosclerosis, causes very serious vascular stenosis in some patients due to reasons such as smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In fact, every vein in the body gets its share from this situation and causes different complaints in different organs in the patient. The increased blood demand of the muscles during walking cannot be adequately met due to the narrowing created by these plaques in the vessels and causes pain. As the amount of stenosis in the arteries increases, muscle pain occurs within a shorter walking distance. The presence of walking pain may be a sign of serious vascular stenosis in middle and elderly people, blood pressure patients and people with additional diseases such as diabetes.
How is the diagnosis and treatment of leg pain originating from arteries?
Developing technology and new techniques make it possible to treat arterial stenosis and even occlusions with closed surgery. Interventional Radiology outpatient clinics are one of the shortest ways to get a quick diagnosis of your disease and to arrange your treatment without delay. So much so that a middle-aged or old-aged patient with additional diseases such as blood pressure and diabetes can apply directly to the Interventional Radiology outpatient clinic by saying, "There is probably a narrowing in my leg veins," if they also have complaints of walking pain. Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases.
The first step for diagnosis is Doppler Ultrasonography examination. Doppler ultrasonography examination should definitely be performed by a Radiology Specialist. A good doppler ultrasound With the examination, the narrowed or blocked areas in your veins are detected and reported. If necessary, vascular stenosis can be viewed in more detail with the drug given from the arm by methods such as Computed Tomography. The next thing to do is to choose the appropriate treatment.
Angiographic methods, which are usually performed by entering the inguinal vein in the treatment process, have now become indispensable. This procedure is known as closed surgery, and is performed by the Interventional Radiologist in angiography units under sterile conditions in an environment that resembles an operating room. Vascular stenosis and occlusions are usually treated in one session with balloon or stent applications with this method. These procedures are done with a small skin incision like a pinhole. The best part is that with this treatment, which we call closed surgery, the patient is discharged the next day and can return to his daily work.
Treatment not performed on time leads to longer stenosis or complete occlusions, which can make treatment more challenging and difficult. In addition, in patients who are not treated in this period, it evolves as long as there is pain even in the period of resting pain, which we call resting pain, which requires urgent treatment. Again, neglected stenosis/occlusions can lead to foot wounds after a while, which is a situation that needs urgent intervention. In the presence of foot wounds, especially in diabetic patients, it should be intervened without losing any time. If the wound is neglected after it has formed, it will cause gangrene in the toes and the gangrenous tissue, which we call amputation, must be cut and removed. After these procedures, which can be easily performed by interventional radiologists, patients are warned to quit smoking, and if their diabetes is not under control, drug treatment is arranged by taking the opinion of the relevant branch physicians. Lifestyle changes and, if necessary, drug therapy recommendations are made for blood pressure, weight, etc.
As a result; listen to your complaints, do not neglect them, but also be determined about lifestyle change.
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