Imagine you’re swimming and enjoying a few laps in the cool water when your feet begin to cramp. Or picture yourself walking around the mall or taking your out-of-town relatives for a walking tour of downtown when your legs begin to ache. Few things are more discouraging to activities than cramps. Cramping when you’re active might not be your ordinary muscle spasms, though. It could be intermittent claudication—a sign that your circulation has problems.
Healthy blood flow is important for your muscles. You need sufficient oxygen and nutrients for them to work properly and without pain. When your circulation is low—or worse, restricted—your lower limbs quickly become deprived of what they need when you’re active. Blood struggles to reach your feet and provide your muscles with enough oxygen. They cramp up and ache as a result. When you relax and your muscles aren’t using up all the oxygen in your blood so quickly, you start to feel better.
This is called intermittent claudication. It’s a problem when you have issues like peripheral arterial disease (PAD) clogging and stiffening your blood vessels. The buildup of plaque in your arteries narrows them and limits how much blood can get through to your feet. As a result, your feet struggle to get enough oxygen and nutrients to support your activities.
The best way to deal with this kind of cramping when you’re active is to address your circulation problems. This helps the muscles in your lower limbs both get more of the oxygen they need and learn to work more efficiently. This can alleviate your pain and make being active easier for you, and help you avoid more serious circulation issues in the long run.
Cramping feet and legs from circulation problems don’t have to be life-altering or seriously restricting, especially if you jump to take care of it quickly. The sooner you deal with it, the better and healthier it is for your lower limbs. Our team at Absolute Foot Care Specialists can help you. Make an appointment online or call our Las Vegas offices at (702) 839-2010 to take care of your foot circulation issues today.
