Calf Pain May Be Intermittent Claudication

If your legs don't hurt at rest and you develop pain in
your calves after walking for a short time, you may have a condition called
intermittent claudication, a partial obstruction of the blood flow to
your legs. When you walk, your leg muscles require a large
amount of blood and a partial obstruction of the arteries carrying
blood to your legs can prevent extra blood from getting through,
causing your calf muscles to hurt. Several weeks of an exercise
program can triple the distance you can walk without pain, but
people with intermittent claudication have blocked arteries in
other areas, so check with your doctor. You need to find out why
your arteries are blocked, and you may need a supervised
exercise program to prevent further complications.