Poor circulation, medically diagnosed as Peripheral artery disease (PAD), is a condition which can cause pain and cramping. Risk factors include with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smokers and people past 50 years old. PAD impacts over 200 million people around the world1. PAD affects the arteries when fat deposits build up on the artery’s walls, narrowing and hardening the blood vessels. This makes it hard for blood to flow (poor circulation), resulting in a lack of oxygen to the feet and legs.

PAD commonly affects the legs and can impact circulation to both the feet and legs causing an aching feeling and discomfort in your legs. You can also experience cramps, especially when you walk or when you sleep at night, also called night cramps.

If you have PAD, your feet and legs may also feel colder. You may notice that your legs feel weaker and might even feel tingly, a pins and needles feeling. If you get a sore on your leg or foot, you may notice that it heals slower than normal.

Leg pain after exercising has a formal name. The diagnosis of exercise-induced leg pain or EILP is a broad term used to describe pain from many different causes.

This pain detrimentally impacts the bones, muscles, and other areas of the leg.

When a person overexerts themself – the oxygen in the lower leg muscles gets depleted. When this happens, the muscles fall back on anaerobic-based metabolism, which utilizes the muscle’s reserves.

This results in inflammation.

If the tissue in the leg is tight, the muscle cannot easily expand, which results in immense pressure in the compartment. This could result in drastically reducing or completely stopping the blood supply to the leg. While stopping activities and utilising cold packs commonly helps this condition, severe cases may require Compartment Decompression surgery.

Carrying unwanted weight increases the pressure in the lower legs. This is a contributing factor in causing leg aches, discomfort and pain. If you lose weight, this may help reduce your leg symptoms because your body will contend with less pressure.

Smoking harms your blood vessels by accelerating plaque build-up and therefore increases your risk of poor circulation from Peripheral Arterial Disease. Poor circulation brings on symptoms of aching legs and feet, and a host of other leg problems. By choosing to quit smoking, you will be helping your health.