- With Mayo Clinic neurologist
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
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Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Swanson is a board-certified neurologist at Mayo Clinic and is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has a special interest in headache disorders and medical education.
Dr. Swanson, a Lacon, Ill., native, was appointed to the Mayo Clinic staff in 1982 and works in the Department of Neurology with about 90 other physicians. He formerly chaired the Headache Division in the Neurology Department at Mayo Clinic and works with headache subspecialists around the world. He has published and lectured widely on headache disorders. He also serves as Assistant Dean for Assessment in Mayo Medical School.
"In a manner similar to the printing press, Internet technology enables the unprecedented ability to communicate with the global community about health information," Dr. Swanson says. "There is no doubt that the knowledgeable individual contributes greatly to his or her own health care, and now we can share information much more widely."
"There is much information already available about health care on the Internet. Unfortunately, much of it is not founded on sound principles. It is exciting to be a part of the MayoClinic.com team and contribute to the creation of a reliable and timely health resource."
Dr. Swanson is the neurology editor for "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and has reviewed articles for "Mayo Clinic Health Letter" and "Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource." He is also editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic on Headache" book, published in 2004. In 2008 the magazine "Women's Health" named him one of America's Top Doctors for Women.
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Question
Pseudoclaudication vs. claudication: What's the difference?
I have severe calf pain when I walk even a short distance. I thought this was a symptom of claudication. But my doctor tells me I have something called pseudoclaudication. What's the difference?
Answer
from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.
Pseudoclaudication and claudication cause similar symptoms — such as leg pain — but for different reasons. Pseudoclaudication is due to narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal (spinal stenosis). This puts pressure on the spinal root nerves, which control movement and sensation in the legs. Claudication, on the other hand, is a circulation problem that results in decreased blood flow in the arteries that supply blood to muscles in the legs.
Pseudoclaudication typically causes pain and discomfort in the buttocks, legs and feet with walking or prolonged standing. You may also experience numbness and weakness in your legs. Leg pain typically is relieved by sitting or bending forward at the waist, which reduces nerve pressure. Treatment of pseudoclaudication is directed at the underlying cause of the spinal stenosis.
- Mohler ER. Clinical features, diagnosis and natural history of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- Levin K. Lumbar spinal stenosis: Pathophysiology, clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
- Isaac Z, et al. Lumbar spinal stenosis. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/120072120-3/803549051/1678/49.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50048-1--cesec6_755. Accessed Feb. 12, 2009.
