Your Signal
Claudicatio intermittens (peripheral arterial disease)
10 min read
Also known as: window-shopper's disease · claudicatio intermittens · PAD · peripheral arterial occlusive disease · circulatory disorder of the leg · smoker's leg · pain when walking · peripheral arterial disease · leg pain when walking · reduced walking distance
Your Body Is Speaking
You set off — and after a while the pain forces you to stop. A cramp-like pulling in the calf, sometimes the thigh, sometimes the full length of the leg. You stand still, wait, the pain eases. You walk on. It comes back. Stand. Wait. Walk on. Stand. As though your body were telling you at regular intervals: this far and no further.
Medically the cause is clear: calcified arteries narrow the blood vessels in the legs. The tissue receives too little oxygen. Under exertion — while walking — circulation is no longer sufficient, and the muscle cries out. The popular name "window-shopper's disease" comes from affected people repeatedly stopping — as if looking at shop windows — to hide the pain.
Your signal is waiting
Would you like to read about Claudicatio intermittens (peripheral arterial disease)?
Read your first text free after a short, no-cost sign-up — no payment, no subscription, just your email.
Not now — back to the home page