By Dr. Ron Adduru, DPM
Every week at Family Foot & Leg Center in Sarasota, I hear patients tell me the same story: “Dr. Adduru, my legs start cramping after walking just a few blocks, but I figured I’m just getting older.” Or, “I’ve had a small sore on my toe for weeks that just won’t seem to heal.”
As a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon—who began his medical career as a trauma and critical care nurse—I hear these words and immediately look deeper. What many people chalk up to natural aging, arthritis, or a minor scrape is frequently something far more serious: Peripheral Artery Disease, or P.A.D.
September is national P.A.D. Awareness Month. It serves as an essential annual reminder that poor lower-extremity circulation isn’t just an inconvenience—it is a critical vascular condition requiring prompt detection and proactive care.
What Is Peripheral Artery Disease?
Peripheral Artery Disease is a common circulatory problem where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs, most frequently affecting the legs and feet.
It is primarily caused by atherosclerosis—a buildup of fatty deposits, cholesterol, and calcium (plaque) along arterial walls. As plaque accumulates, arteries stiffen and narrow, restricting oxygen-rich blood from efficiently reaching your lower legs, feet, and toes.
When your muscles and skin are starved of adequate oxygen, your legs struggle to function normally—especially during physical activity when demand for oxygenated blood rises.
Healthy Artery -> Clear Vessel -> Unrestricted
Oxygenated Blood Flow -> P.A.D. Artery -> Plaque Buildup -> Restricted Blood Flow to Legs & Feet
Recognizing the Warning Signs
P.A.D. often develops quietly over several years, with up to half of all patients experiencing no noticeable symptoms in early stages. As arterial restriction worsens, classic signs begin to emerge:
• Intermittent Claudication: Painful muscle cramping or tightness in the calves, thighs, or buttocks triggered by walking that subsides after resting.
• Coldness in the Foot or Leg: One foot feeling noticeably cooler to the touch than the other.
• Non-Healing Wounds: Cuts, sores, or blisters on the toes or feet that resist healing or turn dark.
• Skin & Nail Changes: Shiny skin on the legs, loss of foot hair, or slow-growing toenails.
• Color Changes: A pale, bluish, or reddish tint to the feet when elevated or resting.
• Rest Pain: In advanced stages, severe pain or burning in the toes and feet even while resting.
• Crucial Insight: If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a history of smoking, or are over age 50, your risk for developing P.A.D. increases significantly.
Front-Line Podiatric Detection
Because P.A.D. manifests directly in the lower extremities, podiatric specialists are often the very first healthcare professionals to identify it.
When you visit our Sarasota practice for foot pain, a non-healing ulcer, or routine diabetic foot care, evaluating your vascular status is a standard part of our assessment. We regularly perform non-invasive diagnostic evaluations—checking pedal pulses, inspecting skin integrity, and utilizing Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) tests—to evaluate arterial blood flow down to the toes.
Having worked in critical care environments prior to specializing in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, I emphasize this: P.A.D. is a system-wide warning signal. If plaque is restricting arteries in your legs, similar buildup likely exists in vessels feeding your heart and brain. Early detection doesn’t just save limbs—it lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Furthermore, severe blood flow restriction can cause minor cuts to turn into chronic foot ulcers. Left untreated, these wounds risk tissue necrosis (gangrene) and amputation. Modern wound care protocols, offloading strategies, and close collaboration with vascular surgeons allow us to restore circulation, heal complex wounds, and keep patients mobile.
• Intermittent Claudication: Painful muscle cramping or tightness in the calves, thighs, or buttocks triggered by walking that subsides after resting.
• Coldness in the Foot or Leg: One foot feeling noticeably cooler to the touch than the other.
• Non-Healing Wounds: Cuts, sores, or blisters on the toes or feet that resist healing or turn dark.
• Skin & Nail Changes: Shiny skin on the legs, loss of foot hair, or slow-growing toenails.
• Color Changes: A pale, bluish, or reddish tint to the feet when elevated or resting.
• Rest Pain: In advanced stages, severe pain or burning in the toes and feet even while resting.
• Crucial Insight: If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a history of smoking, or are over age 50, your risk for developing P.A.D. increases significantly.
Front-Line Podiatric Detection
Because P.A.D. manifests directly in the lower extremities, podiatric specialists are often the very first healthcare professionals to identify it.
When you visit our Sarasota practice for foot pain, a non-healing ulcer, or routine diabetic foot care, evaluating your vascular status is a standard part of our assessment. We regularly perform non-invasive diagnostic evaluations—checking pedal pulses, inspecting skin integrity, and utilizing Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) tests—to evaluate arterial blood flow down to the toes.
Having worked in critical care environments prior to specializing in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery, I emphasize this: P.A.D. is a system-wide warning signal. If plaque is restricting arteries in your legs, similar buildup likely exists in vessels feeding your heart and brain. Early detection doesn’t just save limbs—it lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Furthermore, severe blood flow restriction can cause minor cuts to turn into chronic foot ulcers. Left untreated, these wounds risk tissue necrosis (gangrene) and amputation. Modern wound care protocols, offloading strategies, and close collaboration with vascular surgeons allow us to restore circulation, heal complex wounds, and keep patients mobile.
What You Can Do Today
P.A.D. is highly manageable when caught early. Taking control of your vascular health starts with a few key steps:
1. Get Screened: Schedule a lower-extremity vascular evaluation if you experience leg pain while walking or have risk factors like diabetes.
2. Inspect Your Feet Daily: Check for red spots, cuts, blisters, or skin temperature changes.
3. Keep Moving: Under medical supervision, structured walking programs help your body build natural “bypass” routes around blocked vessels.
4. Manage Core Risk Factors: Control blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, and commit to quitting smoking.
Take the First Step Toward Healthier Legs
Don’t ignore leg pain or dismiss non-healing foot sores as a normal part of getting older. Pain is your body’s alarm system, and catching circulation issues early makes all the difference in protecting your independence.
This P.A.D. Awareness Month, prioritize your vascular health. Whether you experience leg discomfort during daily walks, manage diabetes, or seek peace of mind, our team at Family Foot & Leg Center is here to keep you moving safely.
Schedule Your Vascular Evaluation Today!
Take control of your circulation before minor symptoms become major complications.
Dr. Ron Adduru is a podiatrist at Family Foot & Leg Center in Sarasota, Florida, specializing in complex wound care and deformity reconstruction. He is committed to helping the Sarasota community remain active and healthy.
3110 Fruitville Commons Blvd
Suite 102
Sarasota, FL 34240
(239) 430 – 3668 (FOOT)
www.NaplesPodiatrist.com