Harvey R. Danciger, DPM
74-000 Country Club Drive, Suite A-2
Palm Desert, CA 92260
(760) 568-0108

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Posts for tag: PAD

By Dr. Danciger
June 22, 2011
Category: Health, Diagnosis
Tags: PAD   diabetes   cramping   aching   numbness   fatigue   arterial disease  

Why do I have a cramping, pain in my legs when I go bed at night?  It always seems to come on when I elevate my feet.  All of a sudden my calf cramps causing severe pain.  I have to get up and walk around to relieve the pain, or just dangle my legs over the side of the bed.

Why does my butt, hip, thigh hurt when I walk?  Why do I feel numbness, tingling, aching or pain in these areas when I walk, but it is relieved by rest?  Why do I get fatigue with walking?

Does this sound like you?  If it does you may be suffering from Peripheral Arterial Disease, PAD for short.  PAD affects millions of Americans.  Many people have no symptoms yet but have PAD. 

Why is this important?  Persons with PAD have a two – six fold increase in developing a heart attack or stroke.  This can be devastating.  That is why it is important to tell your doctor if you have any symptoms of peripheral arterial disease, or if there is a family history of this disorder.

If you have a history of smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol you are at increased risk for PAD.  Diabetics are more prone to develop PAD as well.

Simple, non invasive testing can be done in our office to determine if there is PAD involved.  The sooner you find out if you have PAD, especially in the early stages, the better off you are. 

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By drdanciger
March 21, 2011
Category: Uncategorized

Peripheral Arterial Disease-Do You Have It?

Peripheral arterial disease, (PAD), is a disease where fatty deposits can build up on the inside linings of the arteries.  This causes a restriction or decrease of blood flow to the various organs and muscles of the body.   Especially vulnerable are the stomach, kidneys, arms, legs and feet.

Did you know that this disease, PAD, accounts for nearly 50% of all the amputations which occur in diabetics!  It is also a major cause of amputations in the non-diabetic population as well.

PAD affects 12-20% of the people in the United States who are age 65 years or older.  Diabetics over the age of 50 have a 3 times greater risk of developing PAD than non-diabetics.  The reason this is important is that PAD carries with it a five year mortality rate of 30%.

If this is not enough of a concern; a patient with PAD faces a six to seven fold increase in risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Not every person with peripheral arterial disease will have symptoms.  Diabetics, because of neuropathy, may not have any symptoms but have advanced stages of PAD.  The neuropathy is masking the symptoms normally associated with PAD.  Pain in the legs, thighs, or buttocks when walking; and is relieved by rest, is a symptom of PAD.  Pain in the legs or feet while lying in bed, that is relieved by hanging the feet down or getting up and standing is another symptom.

Early detection of peripheral arterial disease is important to helping you maintain a healthy, active lifestyle and decrease the above risks associated with PAD.  Your podiatrist is often the first doctor to diagnose PAD as we are aware of subtle changes which occur in the lower extremities which can indicate the disease process.   If you have any symptoms of PAD, see your podiatrist for further evaluation.

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By drdanciger
August 31, 2010
Category: Uncategorized
Tags: PAD   leg pain   vascular testing   podiatrist  

LEG PAIN A COMMON COMPLAINT REPORTED TO PHYSICIANS

Leg pain, cramping, swelling, numbness, or skin discoloration are common complaints that physicians hear from their patients. These may be the early signs of arterial disease of the lower extremities. About 33% of the estimated 9 million adults with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) experience physical signs or symptoms of such intensity or frequency that they should seek medical help if they have not already.


Understanding and managing PAD is a process that requires specially trained medical practitioners, who often use special testing equipment to help determine the cause of the symptom. The doctor needs to be aware of the symptoms, sometimes they are very subtle, to help in the early detection of vascular disorders.


Patients will usually go to their GP when they experience episodes of leg pain, cramping, or other signs of leg discomfort. The GP normally refers the patient to a Hospital vascular lab that specializes in the evaluation and management of arterial leg pain. But with new technology, we can now provide a baseline test in our office and still get immediate feedback from specialists. This allows for a quicker diagnosis, less money spent by the patient, and a quicker beginning of therapy and treatment.


Leg pain is caused by many different health disorders. The diagnostic process begins with the practitioner taking a thorough medical history of the patient. Based on that history, the practioner will decide upon a course of action that may include further diagnostic testing.


DIAGNOSING LEG PAIN

Specialized equipment is sometimes called for when diagnosing PAD. A new development in diagnostic technology well suited to Podiatric offices is PADnet, which measures functional status of the limbs by recording segmental blood pressures and segmental blood volume and communicates results immediately via a web interface to specialists for interpretation; these measurements provide practitioners with a clear, measurable sign of what is going on with a patient's lower extremity arterial system. PADnet is actually a group of tests that contributes to the overall diagnostic process. This test has enabled the early diagnosis of vascualr disease (PAD) in thousands of patients.


Dr. Danciger recommends that anyone experiencing leg pain or discomfort should first seek medical advice from his or her physician. To ensure an accurate diagnosis, however, patients should feel comfortable in asking their doctors whether they need a noninvasive vascular test like PADnet.

 

 

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Podiatrist - Palm Desert, Harvey R. Danciger DPM, 74-000 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert CA, 92260 760-568-0108