Vascular claudication produces a cramping pain in the buttocks, thighs, or calves caused by impaired blood flow to the legs due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It can sometimes be confused with the pain of another condition known as spinal stenosis. However, the two conditions can be distinguished from each other by the pattern of the pain.
Vascular Claudication Symptoms
Pain due to vascular claudication stops quickly when you rest, even in the standing position. By comparison, pain due to spinal stenosis is related to body position and may continue for as long as you remain standing. Bending forward or sitting down usually relieves the pain, but even then the pain of spinal stenosis does not stop as quickly as pain resulting from insufficient blood flow.
Another tip for telling the two conditions apart: Individuals with vascular claudication have pain that starts in their feet or calves that radiates up toward their back and buttock, whereas people with spinal stenosis have pain that starts in their back and buttock and radiates down toward their feet.
Bed rest may increase spinal stenosis pain by exaggerating the natural curve of the lower back, which puts more pressure on the spinal nerves. A person with spinal stenosis may feel more comfortable when sitting in a forward-leaning position, which flexes the lower spine and relieves some of the pressure on the nerves. Likewise, when people with spinal stenosis stand, they may be more comfortable leaning slightly forward. Many people with spinal stenosis find that they tend to lean forward on a shopping cart while buying groceries. As the condition worsens, pain may occur while sitting, or it may wake the person at night.
