Hearing the word “amputation” from your doctor is terrifying. Your mind races, and suddenly everything feels out of control.
But pause for a moment before making this permanent decision, you deserve to know if there are other options.
Your leg muscles need oxygen when they work. Blood brings that oxygen. When arteries get narrow or blocked, your muscles can’t get enough. That’s when the pain comes.
This is referred to as claudication, and it indicates Peripheral Artery Disease. Over 12 million U.S. citizens have PAD and that is more than all the cancers combined.
The vast majority of the population has not even heard anything about it.
Most people have never even heard of it.
What it feels like:
Some people compare it to a bad charley horse. Others say their legs just feel dead. Whatever the description, it means your arteries aren’t doing their job.
Arteries are like pipes. Plaque builds up over time, cholesterol, calcium, other debris. The opening gets smaller. Less blood gets through. Your muscles pay the price.
Things that make it worse:
PAD doesn’t announce itself. You might feel nothing at first. By the time walking becomes painful, the blockage is already serious.
Pain while walking gets the most attention, but watch for these too:
If you’ve got leg pain plus any of these, see a vascular specialist soon. Not next month, soon.
We’ve spent over twenty years focusing on one thing: getting blood flowing properly to the legs.
Our treatments are minimally invasive and done in our office:
You don’t check into a hospital. You come in, we treat you, you go home. Most people start feeling better within weeks.
We hold Joint Commission Accreditation, the top mark for safety and quality. Out of every 10 patients who come to us facing amputation, 8 keep their legs after treatment.
PAD doesn’t fix itself. Left alone, it gets significantly worse. That walking pain can turn into:
Catching it early makes everything easier. Minimally invasive procedures work best before things spiral. The sooner blocked arteries get addressed, the better you do.
We start by listening. How long has this been going on? How far can you walk now? What else are you noticing?
Then we run tests, nothing painful. Blood pressure checks in your ankles, an ultrasound to see how blood’s moving, maybe a few other things.
A single appointment informs us as to what is wrong and what we can do.
You will know what is going on in your arteries, what you can do and what outcomes to expect.
When your legs hurt after short walks, that’s not something to ignore or push through. It’s not just getting older or being out of shape.
We’ve built our practice around helping people with this exact problem. We treat PAD and restore circulation every day.
We also offer same-day appointments since we understand that you do not want to spend weeks in pain.
Give us a call at 661-324-4100. Let’s figure out what’s causing this and fix it before it gets worse.
Is it another thing that is making my leg hurt?
Sure. Arthritis, nerve damage or muscle problems can all be painful. This is why it is worth checking.
What is the duration of these processes?
Typically, 30 minutes to 2 hours, based upon the number of blockages we are addressing.
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