PainCare Florida Physicians

Vascular Pain

PAIN CONDITION

Vascular Pain: Causes, Treatment & Pain Relief

Vascular pain, also called ischemic or circulation pain, occurs when there is a circulation (blood flow) issue in your body.[1] This type of pain is often linked to conditions that affect your arteries and veins, causing a reduced oxygen supply to tissues, organs and nerves. If you experience aching, tingling, numbness or burning sensations—especially in your legs—this could be a sign of vascular pain.[2]

Understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatment options can help you manage circulation-related pain while treating the underlying cause.

About Vascular Pain

Healthy circulation means your heart pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body.[3] Vascular pain occurs when blood flow is restricted due to narrowed, damaged, or blocked blood vessels.[4]. When nerves and tissues like your muscles don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients, they become irritated and painful, especially when you’re active.[5] Pain due to poor circulation usually improves with rest.

Vascular Pain Symptoms

Poor circulation and vascular pain usually affect the extremities first, like your hands and feet, because they are farthest from your heart. Your symptoms may vary depending on what your underlying condition is, but commonly include:

  • Claudication (leg pain and cramps when walking) [5]
  • Weak or absent pulse in feet [6]
  • Aching, burning, or throbbing pain in the legs, feet, arms, or hands [7]
  • Severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, food fear and weight loss [7]
  • Pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest (especially in PAD) [6]
  • Coldness or numbness in the affected area [6]
  • Skin discoloration, ulcers, or slow-healing wounds [8]
  • Swelling or a feeling of heaviness [7]
  • Tingling or sharp pain, particularly in the fingers and toes (seen in Raynaud’s disease)[7]
  • Smooth, shiny skin [9]
  • Muscle weakness [9]

Vascular Pain Causes

Vascular diseases and conditions that affect your circulatory system cause issues with your circulation. These circulation issues can cause vascular pain that can range from mild to debilitating.

The following conditions and causes are associated with poor blood flow and circulation pain:

  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD) [4]
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) [4]
  • Atherosclerosis [4]
  • Varicose veins [4]
  • High blood pressure [4]
  • Obesity [4]
  • Raynaud’s disease [4]
  • Buerger’s Disease [10]
  • Peripheral venous disease [10]
  • Blood clots [10]
  • Inflammation [7]
  • Carotid artery issues [7]
  • Lymphedema [7]
  • Vasculitis [7]
  • Aneurysm [7]
  • Diabetes [4]
  • Smoking [4]
  • High cholesterol [5]
  • Critical limb ischemia [11]

Vascular Pain Management Treatments

Treating vascular pain aims to manage symptoms, improve circulation, and address the underlying cause. Your treatment plan may include lifestyle changes, medications, pain management, and, in some cases, surgery.

A multimodal approach is often used to relieve discomfort. Pain relievers, blood thinners, statins, and vasodilators can help, while procedures such as angioplasty, venous bypass, stents, or varicose vein removal may improve circulation. [7] Your provider may also recommend compression stockings to help improve circulation and ease your discomfort.

Healthy lifestyle changes play a key role in managing vascular pain. Proactively controlling diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure can help. Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and reducing stress can improve symptoms. Avoiding tobacco products is especially important for preventing further circulation issues and promoting overall health.

For vascular pain not relieved by traditional methods, interventional pain management uses less invasive procedures to reduce pain and improve mobility, especially in the legs. Combining pain management with medication, healthy lifestyle modifications, and alternative therapies can restore function, ease discomfort, and improve your overall quality of life.

Interventional pain control procedures for circulation pain:

  • Sympathetic ganglion nerve blocks
  • Trigger point injections
  • Nerve blocks
  • Peripheral nerve blocks
  • Lumbar sympathetic block
  • Stellate ganglion block
  • Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) stimulation
  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
  • Epidural steroid injections
  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
  • Intrathecal drug delivery systems (pain pumps)

When to Consult a Vascular Pain Care Specialist

If you’re experiencing persistent pain, cramping, tingling, heaviness or other unusual sensations in your limbs, especially your legs, it’s important to seek medical attention. Achy, painful legs that feel better with rest need to be evaluated. A vascular specialist can diagnose the underlying cause and recommend treatments to help improve your circulation. Pain management specialists can offer additional pain relieving techniques without relying on pain medications or narcotics.

Don’t dismiss your symptoms as part of getting older—early intervention can prevent serious complications and improve your quality of life. Talk to a pain management specialist today about your options for managing your pain sensations.

Disclaimer: This webpage was written to provide helpful information about vascular pain and is not meant to diagnose, treat or replace your medical care. Seek immediate care for severe pain, cold or discolored skin, swelling, or infected or non-healing wounds. Always consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Resources:

  1. Peripheral vascular disease. Better Health Channel [Internet]. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/peripheral-vascular-disease
  2. Vascular Pain. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12102-vascular-pain
  3. Frysh P. Symptoms of Poor Circulation. WebMD [Internet]. Reviewed September 1, 2023. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/dvt/symptoms-poor-circulation
  4. Poor Circulation. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21882-poor-circulation
  5. Mayo Clinic Staff. Claudication – Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic [Internet] Published 2018. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/claudication/symptoms-causes/syc-20370952
  6. Mayo Clinic. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) – symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic [Internet]. Published 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20350557
  7. Vascular Disease (Vasculopathy). Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Published 2019. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17604-vascular-disease
  8. Overview – Peripheral arterial disease (PAD). NHS [Internet]. Published March 20, 2023. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/peripheral-arterial-disease-pad/
  9. About Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) – Heart Disease. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [Internet]. Published April 24, 2024. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/peripheral-arterial-disease.html
  10. WebMD Editorial Contributors. Vascular Diseases and Pain. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/vascular-diseases-pain
  11. Seretny M, Colvin LA. Pain management in patients with vascular disease. British Journal of Anaesthesia BJA [Internet]. 2016:Volume 117, ii95 – ii106. DOI: 10.1093/bja/aew212. Accessed February 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(17)30149-6/fulltext
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