Claudication: What You Need to Know

• Claudication gets worse over time. For example, you may experience pain after walking six blocks. Months later, you may notice pain after walking five blocks.
• If claudication progresses until you experience leg pain while resting, the symptoms are considered severe.
• Claudication and PAD are usually caused by atherosclerosis — the buildup of fatty plaque, cholesterol and other deposits inside your artery walls.
• Your physician’s goals will be to reduce atherosclerosis through medication and lifestyle changes. Surgery or stenting — inserting an expanding tube that pushes open the artery — may become necessary.

Patient Resources

Learn more about claudication in our health library.

Find out about minimally-invasive treatments for claudication.

Read about Roger Simpson's experience receiving treatment for peripheral artery disease (PAD) at Johns Hopkins.

Watch an online health seminar about peripheral artery disease (PAD)..

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