Claudication is a supply–demand mismatch: the muscle asks for more blood during walking, but a narrowed artery can’t deliver.
What happens:
Plaque narrows the artery → flow may be okay at rest, not enough with activity
Working muscle becomes ischemic → shifts toward anaerobic metabolism → cramp/tight fatigue
Ischemia releases pain mediators (signals that irritate nerve endings) → the classic burning/aching that forces a stop
Rest resets the balance → demand drops, metabolites clear, pain eases… until walking restarts
Key point: it’s not the mediators causing the disease—they’re the alarm. The blockage is the problem.
⚠️ If leg pain happens at rest, is sudden/severe, comes with cold/pale foot, numbness/weakness, or non-healing wounds, it needs urgent medical assessment.
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