Static Muscular Stretching for Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Abstract

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects 8.5 million Americans, and its prevalence increases with age. PAD often presents with walking impairment due to insufficient oxygen supply to skeletal muscle, with the most common symptom being intermittent claudication. Preliminary studies have shown that endothelial function and walking distance have been improved with regular static muscular stretching. Therefore, our study aims to test whether daily muscular stretching improves skeletal muscle vascular function and oxygenation, thereby reducing claudication and increasing walking distance.