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Intermittent sports can relieve the symptoms
Bypass disease is a common complaint that affects many elderly people in particular. At the symposium "Sports in Vascular Medicine", experts from the University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) will provide information about the symptoms and possible approaches to relieving them through sports activities.
According to the University Hospital, the complaints of intermittent claudication "for 1.3 million patients (about eight percent of all people over 65 years) in Germany are part of everyday life." Typical signs are violent, spasmodic pain in the calf, but also in the foot, thigh and Buttocks that occur while running or climbing stairs and quickly subside when standing still. Special sports exercises, which will be presented at the symposium on "Sports in Vascular Medicine" on Wednesday, September 27, by experts from the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Clinic at the UKD, can help.
If pain occurs in the calves when walking, which quickly stops when you are standing, this may indicate the bouts. Special sports exercises can alleviate the symptoms and minimize the risk of further complications. (Image: /fotolia.com) Only shortened walking distances possible
Due to pain, the walking distances in patients with intermittent intermittent claudication (specialist: peripheral arterial occlusive disease / PAOD) are significantly shortened and frequent compulsory breaks must be taken, reports the UKD. Bladder disorders of the arteries in the legs, which can be remedied by special training structures and exercises, are responsible for a PAD disease.
Long-term threatens significant complaints
According to the UKD, "Deposits (including lime) in PAD cause the leg arteries to contract or become completely obstructive." This impairs blood flow through the artery and causes blood supply to the legs. In the early stages of the disease, the pain already mentioned and threaten in the long term "tissue changes to possibly necessary amputation or blood poisoning by infection of the wounds," says the UKD.
Every fourth patient affected
The figures from recent studies indicate that in Germany about every fourth patient over the age of 65 years is affected by PAD and that about one in ten symptoms shows, so the announcement of the UKD. Men are four times more likely to be affected than women, and diabetics and smokers are considered to be particularly at risk: their risk of developing PAD is significantly increased.
Create new ways for the blood flow
If the affected person already has a shortening of the walking distance, the German Society of Vascular Surgery and Medicine (DGG) recommends a regular walking training that will lengthen the walking distance and prevent surgery or even amputation, reports the UKD. If the main arteries in the leg are closed, the blood must come through another way, explains Professor Hubert Schelzig, Director of the Department of Vascular and Endovascular Medicine at the UKD. "We always tell our patients: The main road is closed, so we need to extend the back roads," the expert continues.
Sports therapy to strengthen the vessels
According to Professor Schelzig, targeted sports exercises can help to strengthen the so-called collateral vessels with impulses. The structured vascular training allows the blood to flow through the secondary arteries of the main arteries and to be guided around the obstruction, so that the leg is better supplied again. Such structured vascular training has been offered since 2014 by the UKD together with the Association for Health Sport and Sports Therapy Düsseldorf-Ratingen e.V. Once a week, this takes place on the grounds of the University Hospital under the guidance of a licensed vascular sports trainer.
Every time 100 meters more on the treadmill
Sports Therapy participants report that every week they notice how the course brings them something, according to the announcement from the UKD. "With every examination, I can walk 100 meters further on the treadmill", participant Wolfram Voßhage is quoted by the university hospital. His teammate Andreas Gob adds that doing sports in the community is just more fun and you do not do the exercises alone at home. "In the vascular sports group everyone has similar complaints as me and understand my problems," says Andreas Gob in the message from the UKD. This motivates him in addition.
At this year's symposium of the UKD, in addition to the sports concepts, the general benefits of sports for the cardiovascular system will be discussed and an awareness campaign against tobacco consumption as the main reason for arteriosclerosis will be presented, reports the University Hospital Düsseldorf. (Fp)