What is vascular pain?
Vascular pain is pain that develops when there is interruption in blood flow to a tissue, organ or nerves.
What causes vascular pain?
Many kinds of vascular diseases or injuries have the potential to cause pain. Diseases such as the following often are culprits:
- vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
- coronary artery disease
- circulatory problems
- vascular ruptures (breakages)
- constrictions
- blood vessel spasms
- ischemia (condition in which blood supply to organs, tissues or limbs is cut off)
- peripheral vascular disease (condition involving the narrowing of blood vessels that carry blood to leg and arm muscles)
- trauma injuries (including accidents, stab wounds, and gunshot wounds)
What are the symptoms of vascular pain?
Symptoms include lack of circulation, pain, or heaviness in the area affected by vascular disease or injury. There also may be numbness, weakness, or a tingling feeling in the affected area.
How is vascular pain treated?
Therapies to treat vascular pain can include medications, angioplasty, or bypass surgery. Angioplasty is a procedure to reduce or eliminate blockages in blood vessels. In bypass surgery, surgeons take a segment of a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body and make a detour around the blocked blood vessel. Doctors that specialize in pain management can sometimes help if the other treatments don’t work. In selected cases pain management nerve blocks and techniques such as spinal cord stimulation can reduce pain and improve circulation.
© Copyright 1995-2009 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All rights reserved.
Can't find the health information you’re looking for?
This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 12/22/2008...#12102
