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ECH  >  Departments & Programs  >  Cardiac Care  >  Cardiac Rehab – Peripheral Artery Disease

Cardiac Rehab – Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Rehabilitation is a branch of our cardiac rehabilitation program that is specialized and helps improve quality of life through a progressive walking protocol for those diagnosed with PAD. Although this program can’t cure the disease, it can significantly improve pain levels and allow patients to complete daily activities with less pain.

PAD is defined as the narrowing of the arteries in the legs, stomach, arms, and head but is most common in the arteries in the pelvis and legs. It is treated with interventions such as lifestyle change, medications, or both.

The PAD program offers the education and monitoring that the cardiac rehabilitation program offers with a more specialized exercise protocol specific to PAD.

How is PAD treated?

One of the most effective ways to help decrease the symptoms of PAD is to implement the lifestyle changes, including:

  • Stop Smoking
  • Control Diabetes
  • Control Blood Pressure
  • Be Physically Active
  • Eat a diet that is low in saturated and trans fats
  • Minimally invasive procedures including angioplasty and stent placement or clot removal

PAD: What are the Symptoms and Am I a Candidate?

The symptoms for a PAD diagnosis can vary from patient to patient. Most have one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Muscle cramping in hips, thighs, or calves while walking or climbing stairs which usually go away when activity stops
  • Leg pain that does not go away and stopping exercise
  • Foot or toe wounds that won’t heal or heal very slowly
  • Gangrene, or dead tissue
  • A marked decrease in the temperature of your lower leg or foot, compared to the other leg or the rest of your body.
  • Poor nail growth on toes or hair growth on legs.

Candidates for the PAD Rehabilitation include those who have been diagnosed with PAD and have a physician’s consent to join the program. A physician will prescribe this program to control your symptoms, increase exercise tolerance, and improve quality of life for patients.

What are the Goals & Benefits of PAD Rehabilitation?

Not only will patients see the benefits of the cardiac rehab program, but PAD Rehab will help patients walk further without pain and enjoy the benefits of a much greater cardiovascular fitness.

While treating our patients, we carefully document how they respond to exercise. This helps ensure that we deliver quality care throughout a patient’s recovery. Patients and family members can feel confident that our team is always striving to provide the best possible outcomes.

What you need to start the program: