PAD Awareness Saves Lives
SEPTEMBER IS PAD AWARENESS MONTH
PHOENIX - Peripheral arterial disease or PAD is a whole-body disease that’s manifested in the legs. It’s a buildup of cholesterol plaque in the peripheral arteries in the arms, legs, hands and feet. “If you have plaque buildup in your legs, there’s a good chance you could have plaque buildup elsewhere in the body like in your heart or your neck,” says Dr. Joel Rainwater, Chief Medical Officer of Comprehensive Integrated Care (CIC). “It is the same type of disease that causes coronary artery disease which can lead to a heart attack.” This buildup of plaque limits the amount of blood flowing through the arteries.
“Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet and toes which they need to stay healthy,” explains Dr. Rainwater. Without proper blood supply, nerves and muscles are affected. The body reacts in the form of pain or leg cramps signaling that medical attention is needed. Dr. Rainwater asks, “If you’re a nerve cell and you don’t get oxygen or nutrients or vitamins, how are you going to function?” The blood vessels carry those nutrients into your tissues for your nerves to use and if you don’t have
good circulation your nerves can’t function normally. “How do your nerves tell you what’s wrong? They start to itch, they might start burning, they might become numb, or they might have sharp, shooting electric style pain,” says Dr. Rainwater. “That’s your nerve crying out for help. PAD is a serious condition that can’t be ignored.”
It’s often overlooked because people believe that it’s a sign of aging when they can no longer tolerate walking because of pain or cramping in one or both of their legs, or they have a burning or aching pain in their feet and toes while they’re resting or lying in bed. “It’s not normal to lose mobility over time, it’s not normal for a patient to have constant leg pain, to not be able to walk from their house to the mailbox and back,” says Dr. Rainwater. “PAD is often felt in the legs or feet first. Patients notice burning, tingling, cramping or wounds that won’t heal.” Sometimes symptoms are
called neuropathy, but in many cases, they’re being caused or being made worse by PAD.
“The good news about PAD is that there’s hope. There is treatment and it’s excellent,” explains Dr. Rainwater. 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.
“One of the most gratifying things that I experience in my job is seeing patients, sometimes even in recovery, feel their foot for the first time in years,” says Dr. Rainwater. “When they come back for their follow up visit…they talk about how much better their life is. They start making plans, they start thinking about vacations, and how they are going to be able to do the things they used to do in their lives.”