Leg Pain

You would expect a sports injury to cause leg pain, but did you know that leg pain is also a sign of vascular disease? At Southern Vascular & Pain Management, board-certified interventional radiologist Thomas Hodgkiss, MD, specializes in treating all sources of leg pain. Dr. Hodgkiss offers interventional and regenerative treatments for leg pain associated with musculoskeletal problems and minimally invasive procedures to eliminate the source of vascular leg pain. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Blytheville, Arkansa and Memphis or Union City, Tennessee, or use the online booking feature.

What causes leg pain?

Most people associate leg pain with a musculoskeletal problem like a ligament or hamstring injury, pulled muscles, arthritis, and broken bones. But they’re not the only sources of pain.

Blood vessel problems are one of the most common causes of leg pain. Your pain could also come from a nerve condition like peripheral neuropathy or a pinched nerve in your lower back.

What vascular conditions result in leg pain?

Leg pain is the top symptom of peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD occurs when cholesterol plaque builds up on the artery wall. As more fat collects, the plaque enlarges and blocks blood from flowing through the artery.

A few other vascular conditions can cause leg pain, including venous insufficiency, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis. However, Dr. Hodgkiss specializes in minimally invasive treatments for PAD.

How is musculoskeletal leg pain treated?

The first line of treatment for orthopedic-type leg problems includes conservative options such as rest, immobilization, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications.

If your leg pain doesn’t improve, it’s time to consider interventional and regenerative treatments at Southern Vascular & Pain Management.

After determining the exact cause of your pain, Dr. Hodgkiss may recommend one or more of many possible treatments. These are a few examples:

• Joint injections
• Epidural steroid injections
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Lumbar sympathetic nerve block
• Mesenchymal stem cell injections

Most of these treatments stop pain by reducing inflammation or preventing pain signals from reaching your brain. However, regenerative medicine such as a mesenchymal stem cell injection is different because it repairs the damaged tissues.

How is vascular leg pain treated?

When PAD is diagnosed at an early stage, you may be able to ease the pain with medications and lifestyle changes that stop the plaque from getting worse. For example, you may need to change your diet, start exercising, lose weight, or stop smoking.

Once the artery becomes severely blocked, you need a minimally invasive treatment to clear the plaque and restore blood flow. Dr. Hodgkiss uses real-time imaging to guide a catheter through the artery to the blockage.

Then he inflates a balloon that pushes the plaque against the artery wall. In some cases, he also inserts a stent to hold the artery open.

No matter what causes your leg pain, the advanced treatments at Southern Vascular & Pain Management can put you back into action. To learn more, call or book an appointment online today.