要約

Recent research evidence has illustrated that vascular pathology can affect young athletes despite high levels of fitness and generally good health. Professional cyclists in particular have been documented as vulnerable to arterial pathology leading to pain syndromes and reduced athletic performance. This article considers the advancements that have occurred in vascular assessment over the past decade in the recognition and management of exercise-induced leg pain, together with the direct implications for practitioners and clinicians involved in physical therapy and rehabilitation roles. A failure to consider the vascular system as a potential source of pain syndromes has already been documented to result in delays in diagnosis and appropriate management, leading to retirement from top-level sports. This article considers the history, presentation, etiology, diagnosis, and management of lower limb, exercise-induced pain in young fit subjects. It is the authors’ contention that knowledge of the vascular system, basic hemodynamic principles, and standard assessment techniques is an essential part of the knowledge base of clinicians working within medicine, exercise science, rehabilitation, or physical therapy at all levels.