Foot Care 4 U: Peripheral Vascular Disease

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Why You Really Hurt
It All Starts in the foot

by Dr. Burton S. Shuler

Are your toes and or feet cold or numb? Do they burn?
When walking do you get pains in your calf or thigh?
Do you have sores on your toes, feet, or legs that won't heal?
Do you notice a loss of hair on your feet or toes, or legs?
Do you have some black or blue marks on your feet or toes?
Do muscle cramps bother you especially at night or resting?

You may have Peripheral Vascular Disease if the answer to any of the above was yes.

WHAT IS P.V.D?

Peripheral vascular disease is

the medical name of the group of

medical problems that causes poor

circulation to the toes, feet and legs.

One of the major diseases

in this group is called

arteriosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis, more commonly known as

"hardening of the arteries"

is a condition in

which there is a gradual thickening,

hardening,

and loss of elasticity in the walls

of the arteries.

The arteries are the blood vessels that

brings the blood from the heart,

down to the

feet and legs. Arterial insufficiency

may also be

caused by an obstruction

in the artery wall, by the

narrowing of arteries or by a

spasm of the vessel.

This disease is most common in men

past fifty years of age.

Diabetes is a major cause

of peripheral vascular

disease. The diabetic lacks

the ability to make proper

use of the sugar they

ingests. As a result, of this sugar

builds up, they have many

changes in their blood vessels,

causing them to have

circulation problems,

more often than the

average person.

Besides diabetes other

risk factors for circulatory disorders

are heart disease, high blood

pressure, smoking, family history

of vascular disease, obesity,

and elevated

cholesterol levels.

Exercise can help

circulatory problems. The muscles

of the legs

have a massaging effect on the

blood vessels and help maintain

normal passage of the blood.

Adequate exercise which is

appropriate to a person's

general health and age will

do much to

benefit the entire circulatory

system.

There are many highly

successful non-surgical

treatments for peripheral

vascular disease that

gives relief by increasing

the circulation, to the feet

and leg. This is done as

always in the

comfort and privacy

of our clinic.

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