Is it painful to walk?

Have you noticed pain in your leg when you walk? Is it more than just feeling tired when walking? Talk with a health care professional about what you’re experiencing.

Peripheral artery diseasePeripheral artery disease (PAD) is a disease in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrous tissue, and other substances in the blood. (PADPeripheral Artery Disease, a potentially life threatening disease where plaque, like calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet.) can cause leg pain while walking. Aches and pains from PAD are the result of narrowed, hardened arteriesArteries are blood vessels that carry blood to your heart and other parts of your body. in the legs, limiting blood flow to your legs and feet. When there isn’t enough blood in your muscles and you try to move them, the pain in your leg can be severe.

The discomfort can cause you to favor one of your legs while walking to avoid the pain.¹⁹ The pain can worsen when you’re active and decrease when you’re at rest.²³ But you know it can come back.