Follow us
Search
For health professionalsContact usPress Enter to search. For products, try the shop filter.
(08) 6110 0570
admin@pdchealthhub.com.auPress Enter to search. For products, try the shop filter.
(08) 6110 0570admin@pdchealthhub.com.auPeripheral arterial disease means narrowed arteries are reducing blood flow to your legs and feet. Podiatry checks your feet and protects your skin, alongside your doctor's medical care.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) happens when the arteries that carry blood to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked, commonly by fatty build-up.1,3 Smoking and diabetes are the main risk factors.3 Some people have no symptoms. Others get cramping or tiredness in the leg when walking that settles with rest (intermittent claudication), cold feet, or sores that heal slowly.1,2,4 PAD is also a sign of wider artery disease and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.1,4
Podiatrists do not treat the arteries. That is the work of your GP and vascular specialist, and medical care matters: stopping smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol treatment, and regular walking are recommended.4 We check the pulses, skin, nails and sensation in your feet, manage nail, skin and wound care, and refer for circulation testing such as an ankle brachial index when needed.4,5 People living with diabetes should have their feet checked for PAD every year.5 Compression should only be used once circulation is assessed.6
PHOTO NEEDED · Add a Hero Image to this condition in the CMS: a PDC clinician with a client, natural light, no identifiable health information on screen
Symptoms are a guide, not a diagnosis. Your GP confirms the diagnosis; our team helps you manage it day to day.
The teams and services that most often support people with this condition. They work from one shared plan, and one GP referral reaches all of them.
Our care follows the 2021 Australian evidence-based guidelines for diabetes-related foot disease, Healthdirect and RACGP guidance on peripheral artery disease, and Australian wound management standards.
Cramping leg pain when walking that eases with rest, cold feet, hair loss on the legs and brittle toenails are common signs. Some people have none, so people who smoke or live with diabetes should have regular foot checks. Sores that do not heal need prompt review.
It can be. The same artery disease that narrows leg arteries raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, and severe PAD can lead to non-healing wounds. That is why medical management, such as stopping smoking and treating blood pressure and cholesterol, matters as much as foot care.
Regular walking programs are part of recommended care and can improve how far you can walk comfortably. Your GP or vascular specialist will advise what is safe for you, and a podiatrist can check your feet and footwear so walking does not cause sores or blisters.
Not without an assessment. Compression can be unsafe when the arterial blood supply is poor, so circulation should be checked first, often with an ankle brachial index. Do not start compression yourself if you have PAD, leg ulcers or foot sores. Ask your GP or podiatrist first.
No referral is needed for private appointments. A Medicare rebate needs a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan and a GP referral, and applies to up to five eligible allied health services a calendar year. Private health extras often cover podiatry, and DVA or NDIS funding may apply in some cases.
Tell us what is going on and we will point you to the right discipline, or to more than one. Most people start with a single appointment and leave with a plan the rest of the team can see.
Or go straight to a service
Phone (08) 6110 0570 · Medicare, NDIS, DVA and private options across our services
For GPs and health professionals
Send an online referral in under two minutes. One referral reaches every discipline at PDC Health Hub.
