Symptoms are often felt in your feet first, but they are a sign of what’s going on in the arteries throughout your body.
Dr. Perry is a foot specialist, trained to pay attention to the signals feet send. Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness or cramping. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) often is the cause. “If you find yourself needing to rest because your leg cramps when you walk even a short distance, or at night you need to stand up to relieve a cramp in your foot, that’s your legs and feet telling you they need help,” said Perry.
PAD is a build-up of fatty material inside the arteries that limits the amount of blood that passes through them. This build-up hardens into plaque inside the artery and is a condition known as atherosclerosis. Sometimes, it’s called “hardening of the arteries.” No matter what it’s called, this plaque causes a narrowing of the passageway, restricting the amount of blood that flows throughout the body. We commonly think of this as a condition in our hearts, but it can affect the arteries in our legs and be just as serious.
Symptoms are often felt in your feet first, but they are a sign of what’s going on in the arteries throughout your body. “The muscles and nerves need oxygen and nutrients, which are carried in your blood. When your circulation is affected, your body uses pain or numbness to let you know there is a problem,” said Perry. “Your feet need a good blood supply to stay healthy, and they will let you know when they need medical attention.”
“The good news about PAD is that there’s hope. There is treatment, and it’s excellent,” explained Dr. Joel Rainwater, M.D., an endovascular specialist. A minimally invasive procedure is done in an office setting and patients are home within hours and back to everyday activities with almost no downtime, no stitches and no overnight hospital stay. Medicare, as well as most insurance plans, will cover treatment.
Dr. Perry urges her patients to talk with a doctor about any changes in their feet. Lifestyle changes, medication and treatment can help prevent PAD from progressing to dangerous consequences. “Time matters. Don’t wait to see if the pain will go away on its own,” said Perry. “There is nothing to be gained by waiting, and there is a potential loss because waiting delays treatment. One of the most important benefits of diagnosing PAD early is that we have the opportunity to prevent it from getting worse and put you on a path to getting better.” FBN
By Reisha Zang
Dr. Diana Perry, DPM specializes in limb preservation and trauma of the foot. She can be reached at CiC 928-719-7400.
Reisha Zang is director of communication at CiC. You may contact her at 928-719-7400 or reisha.zang@ciccenters.com.
