With the new year here, gyms, yoga and pilates studios, and running tracks have more people than normal. As folks set out to work toward their New Year’s resolutions, many are moving more than they were before.
If you’re one of them, we applaud you. More regular physical exercise moves the needle in the right direction on a number of health indicators.
You don’t want anything to get in the way of your progress, and leg cramping when you exercise can be particularly troublesome. If it happens once, it’s annoying. If it keeps happening, you might start to worry that something bigger is going on in your body.
If you’re at that point, come in to see our team at Vascular & Interventional Associates. We offer diagnostic vascular ultrasound to help people throughout northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati, Ohio, area figure out if a vascular issue is behind their leg cramping.
Leg cramping is fairly common during exercise. In fact, the more people exercise, the more likely they are to experience this unwelcome sensation. Cramps happen somewhat frequently for marathoners and triathlon athletes, for example.
In addition to high-intensity, long-lasting exercise, risk factors for cramping include:
In other words, leg cramping during exercise is common and in many cases can be traced back to easily remedied roots.
That doesn’t mean you should dismiss those cramps just yet, though. First, you need to make sure they’re not being caused by a vascular issue called peripheral artery disease (PAD).
You develop peripheral artery disease when narrowed arteries interfere with your blood flow. A hallmark of this condition is leg cramping that comes on when you exercise but then gets better as soon as you rest. Even simply walking can trigger leg cramps with PAD.
The condition can cause other symptoms, too. Certain signs may indicate that peripheral artery disease is behind your cramping. Watch out for:
If you have any of these other symptoms paired with your leg cramping during exercise, make an appointment to see us. With a painless, noninvasive vascular ultrasound, we can determine what’s going on with the blood flow inside your legs.
Don’t ignore leg cramping during exercise — especially if you’re also experiencing other symptoms of PAD. Make an appointment today to receive professional medical care from the team at Vascular & Interventional Associates in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. Call the office or book a visit online.
