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Symptoms

Cramping pain, weakness, and tension in a limb (usually the calves) after muscular exercise. Upon resting, the pain always ceases. Typically, after a few moments of rest, the person can begin walking again.

Causes

Intermittent claudication (also simply called claudication) is often a symptom of something more serious: arteriosclerosis of the femoral and popliteal arteries. Other causes include Buerger's disease (which see), or other occlusive arterial diseases of the limbs. Diabetics tend to have claudication more than the average.

High blood pressure (above 160 systolic or 90 diastolic) triples the risk of claudication (see "Hypertension").

Diagnosis of claudication is done by a physician, by taking the "pedal pulse." This is the pulse at the instep of each foot. These pulses should be strong and equal, but if one or both is weak or absent, then there is claudication.

Treatments

• Take vitamin C, to bowel tolerance; vitamin E and B6; chromium; and selenium.

• Maintain a total vegetarian diet, free from grease and animal foods. Avoid vegetable oils also. Because of the connection between claudication and blood vessel diseases, the life you save may be your own (see "Arteriosclerosis" and related articles on the heart and blood vessels).

• Using nicotine is ruinous to the health in several ways; choking off circulation to the limbs is one of them. Those who smoke are 6 times more likely to develop claudication (also see Buerger's Disease).

• It appears that abnormally high blood viscosity can be a primary cause of poor blood flow. The solution is to drink lots of water and use a diet low in fats, sugars, and concentrated foods; that is, those which have a very low moisture content.

• Stress also reduces blood viscosity, so avoid stress.

• A regular exercise program is very helpful, especially for those who do it every day. See "Muscle Cramps" for some sample exercises. Ten repetitions of the exercises should be done at least once a day.

• In addition to other exercises, take a daily walk. Build up to a total of an hour, each morning and evening.

• For those who can take them, hot baths are helpful. Always keep the head cool with cool washcloths that are changed frequently.

• Helpful herbs include ginseng and cayenne.

-Also see "Muscle Cramps," which, in the legs, have the same symptoms. Also see "Arteriosclerosis" and related articles.

This page was last modified on 2 December 2010, at 17:37.

URL: http://naturalencyclopedia.com/Claudication

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