Introduction. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a group of disease entities with a common background associated with the development of atherosclerosis. The most common complaint reported to the doctor by patients is pain in the lower limbs. The distance covered by the patient until the onset of pain is called intermittent claudication. In critical ischemia, limb pain also occurs at rest, often worsens at night during sleep. Aim. The objective of the study was to assess pain sensation in patients with chronic ischaemia of the lower limb. Material and methods. The study was conducted at the General and Vascular Surgery Department “D” of the Clinical University Hospital of Lord’s Transfiguration in Poznan. The study was conducted using the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The study involved 52 patients (women n = 20, 38%; men n = 32, 62%) in the age range from 52 to 82 years. Results. All study participants reported pain of the lower limbs; the mean pain intensity was 8 points according to the Numerical Scale. The most frequently mentioned pain areas were calf muscles. The most often chosen pain descriptions were: tiresome (96.15%), oppressive (96.15%), nagging (94.23%). Authors found the relationship between the degree of ischaemia according to the Fontaine classification and the current pain assessment and the number of selected descriptions of pain. Conclusions. Pain occurred in all subjects with chronic lower limb ischemia. The number of pain descriptions chosen increased with the decrease of the intermittent claudication distance. The degree of ischemia of the lower limbs influenced the intensity of pain.

Key words: peripheral artery disease PAD, chronic ischemia of lower limbs, pain.