Training modules (NHS Scotland)



What are the effects of peripheral arterial disease (PAD)?

PAD itself in isolation rarely causes ulceration, it is usually a combination of PAD, neuropathy and trauma that is the pathway to ulceration.

PAD specifically effects the feet in individuals with diabetes by reducing the amount of blood reaching the area. This results in a reduced ability for the tissues to repair themselves after injury.

Early signs that there is a problem with the circulation can be intermittent claudication (cramping in the calf muscle after walking a certain distance) or the inability to palpate the foot pulses.