What is vascular pain?
Vascular pain is pain that
develops when the communication between blood vessels and nerves is
interrupted or damaged in some way.
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
- 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 can reduce pain and improve
circulation.