[Vascular rehabilitation in lower-extremity artery diseasein 2018]

The vascular rehabilitation is an effective treatment for patients with an intermittent claudication linked to lower-extremity artery disease. This treatment increases the claudication distance of 180% with the Gardner's protocol (30 to 60 minutes of walking at least 3 times a week, walking until appearance of a mild pain) and allows also to control the vascular risk factors. This treatment is not enough prescribed for many reasons and often requires a hospitalization in a rehabilitation centre.

Walking rehabilitation remains the base of the treatment of lower-extremity artery disease. Many walking protocols can be proposed. For a similar efficiency, patients are not obliged to walk until appearance of a pain but only until appearance of a discomfort. Exercises other than walking have been tested and can be used. Heart Rehabilitation Centres will propose more often vascular rehabilitation including hospitalisations for complex patients or out-management for non-complex patients. With a lower cost, the walking rehabilitation could be also realised at home by the patient himself with a certain degree of supervision with good results. Supervision means the use of a podometer, weekly advices given by phone by a Vascular Physician or a Physiotherapist, one walking session once a week in a rehabilitation centre. Connected devices could be also helpful allowing increasing of the patients' motivation. Simultaneously, it is necessary that the patients observe the recommendations of the World Health Organisation by performing weekly 150 minutes of mild-intensity endurance's activity in order to minimise their long-term vascular risk. Finally, the respective place of the revascularisations and walking rehabilitation remains to be clarify in case of intermittent claudication due to a superficial femoral artery lesion.