Ischemic Foot Pain

Ischemic foot means that not enough blood is flowing through the arteries from the heart to the foot. The ischemic foot pain occurs because the foot is not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients.

Symptoms

• In addition to pain, symptoms of ischemic foot include cold feet, purple or red toes, or muscle cramping after walking short distances. In more serious cases, sores may not heal and tissue may die, leading to gangrene (a serious condition that may necessitate amputation).

Causes

• Although ischemic foot has many possible causes, according to American Family Physician, the most common cause is atherosclerosis (the build up of plaque in your arteries).

Diagnosis

• A doctor diagnoses ischemic foot based on your symptoms, a foot exam and testing to measure the blood flow.

Early Treatment

• In ischemic foot's early stages, treatments include walking to increase blood flow, shoes and insoles that protect the skin from sores and medications to help improve the blood flow to the feet.

Surgery

• If the ischemic foot becomes advanced or there is risk of gangrene, surgery can bypass the blocked artery or clean out the area of blockage.