PAD biomechanics

[Eddy Edson]

A new review of biomechanical aspects of PAD and their impact on gait:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1625948254666952740

Really interesting (if you have PAD and want to understand your gait!)

These gait changes show that PAD produces defective neuro-muscular performance and cooperation across the ankle, knee, and hip joints and throughout stance. These impairments are present from the first step a patient with PAD takes (even before claudication pain starts) and worsen after the onset of claudication symptoms in the affected limbs. ...
The gait biomechanics studies help shed light on the critical question of whether the gait changes observed in patients with PAD are due to acquired deconditioning resulting from less walking or due to vascular insufficiency ... The overall evidence from gait biomechanics studies shows that gait alterations in patients with PAD are primarily due to vascular insufficiency and resulting muscle damage. The contribution of acquired deconditioning owing to less walking needs to be further investigated.

 

[trophywench]

Thanks - I now know that the pain in my hips a third of the way round the weekly supermarket shop is certainly feature of the PAD and most likely not something else additional on top of that.

But - no info on anything one might usefully do to try and reduce it.

 

[Eddy Edson]

But - no info on anything one might usefully do to try and reduce it.

I know, right? I guess you have to work out "what" before you can work out how to fix it, but even so the research seems so early and scrappy for a major chronic disease at least as serious as CAD.

I seem to grow collaterals very easily and I now am way more active than most people my age. My blood flow to lower leg, ankle and foot is probably about as good as it can get for somebody with a completely blocked SFA, absent revascularisation (which might not actually improve anything). But even so my gait remains f'ed up - my ankle is dodgy, my big toe doesn't lift properly, there's no way I could run, even though I now frequently walk at a pace for which running would be more efficient.

At least locally, there appears to be no professional who could provide much useful advice or therapy for making this better. My vascular specialist glazes over with boredom if it doesn't involve a scalpel; exercise physiologists I've seen are like jumped-up gym rats I half-expect to start trying to sell me coke; nothing doing from neuro people. The most useful is my podiatrist because at least she sells me excellent foot lotion, at wholesale price.

 

[Annette&Bert]

When mine was diagnosed, I was told to do various leg exercises which would greatly relieve the condition. I was sent a sheet with about six exercises. Also moving around a lot rather than sitting too much. I was also told a good side effect of certain statins which are not only used for lowering cholesterol (mine is only 3.3 good cholesterol and 0.3 bad) have been proved to help PAD, that was three months ago and have definately made a difference. I was put on Simvastatin 20mg once daily.

 

[Eddy Edson]

When mine was diagnosed, I was told to do various leg exercises which would greatly relieve the condition. I was sent a sheet with about six exercises. Also moving around a lot rather than sitting too much. I was also told a good side effect of certain statins which are not only used for lowering cholesterol (mine is only 3.3 good cholesterol and 0.3 bad) have been proved to help PAD, that was three months ago and have definately made a difference. I was put on Simvastatin 20mg once daily.

Statins have made a huge difference to my PAD symptoms (in conjunction with increasing amounts of exercise and a standard heart-healthy diet).

There is also a gadzillion tons of evidence showing that they cut mortality and morbidity risks for PAD sufferers, by a lot.

Anyway, glad to hear things are getting better!

 

[Annette&Bert]

Statins have made a huge difference to my PAD symptoms (in conjunction with increasing amounts of exercise and a standard heart-healthy diet).

There is also a gadzillion tons of evidence showing that they cut mortality and morbidity risks for PAD sufferers, by a lot.

Anyway, glad to hear things are getting better!

You’re luckier than me though Eddy because you can exercise but I cannot due to very painful arthritis, I also have aortic stenosis so I am restricted in what I can do, but what you say about statins is so true. Thanks for reply