Leg Pain When Walking: Could It Be Claudication?

Do you get pain in your legs when walking? Don't just put it down to joint problems, osteoarthritis or old age. It may actually mean that the arteries in your legs are either narrowed or blocked. Typically this occurs in the calves, the thighs or the buttocks.

There are three things you really need to check. Number one: does it happen after a certain amount of walking? Is it predictable? Number two: does it stop when you stop exercising or stop walking? And number three: does the pain come back when you resume exercise or start walking?

If this sounds familiar, this could be claudication. Fun fact: claudication comes from the Latin claudicare, which means to limp. Emperor Claudius had a limp. But this is definitely not limping. This is definitely cramping: tight calf, thigh or buttock pain.

And if you do have this, and if it is claudication, the important thing is that it could also mean that you've got blockages elsewhere in your vascular tree, including your heart, which could lead to a heart attack, or your brain, which could lead to a stroke. So it is definitely worth getting checked. Go and find a vascular surgeon, explain your symptoms and get screened.