Leg pain is not a normal sign of aging

You shouldn’t have to cope with painful, heavy legs as a normal part of getting older. Don’t shrug it off as something you’ll just have to deal with. Talk with a doctor to see if your leg pain is a sign of a larger health problem, such as peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Unexplained pain or a feeling of heaviness in your legs could be caused by narrowed, hardened arteries from PAD. It may mean you have limited blood flow to your legs and feet. In the worst form of PAD, called critical limb ischemia (CLI), the obstructed blood flow is so considerable and widespread that the pain can be intolerable.²⁰