ABSTRACT
Relief from discomfort with a discrete period of rest is a hallmark of claudication. Just as the pain should develop with a predictable amount of exertion, relief should require a consistent period on each occasion. Whether that relief comes with sitting, standing, or reclining, the patient will be able to quantify it. Pain that is relieved immediately upon cessation of activity is not claudication and not related to inadequate perfusion. Pain that results from specific positional changes, occurs while lying, or can be relieved by activity is not a consequence of peripheral arterial disease and may be neuropathic or musculoskeletal in origin.
