Supervised Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease (SET PAD)

What is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)?

When an artery is blocked or narrowed, less blood than normal can flow through it. This can cause pain and changes in skin color and temperature. It can make it hard to walk or stand for long periods of time. If PAD is not treated, it can permanently damage that part of your body.

What is SET PAD?

Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) involves the use of intermittent walking exercise, which alternates periods of walking to moderate-to-maximum claudication, with rest. SET has been recommended as the initial treatment for patients suffering from intermittent claudication, the most common symptom experienced by people with PAD.

This program requires a face-to-face visit and a referral from your provider.

What does the SET PAD program consist of?

  • Sessions lasting 30-60 minutes with therapeutic exercise training for PAD patients with claudication
  • Typically consists of 36 sessions over 12 weeks but may be more based on medical necessity
  • Hospital outpatient setting
  • Staff of qualified persons necessary to ensure benefits exceed harm, including those who are trained in exercise therapy for PAD
  • Supervising provider available who is trained in both basic and advanced life support techniques

What are the symptoms of PAD?

  • Pain, cramping or a tired feeling in your calf, thigh or buttock. The pain might happen when you walk and then go away when you rest, or you might feel it all the time.
  • Leg or foot feels cool to the touch
  • Dry and scaly skin on the leg or foot
  • Poor toenail growth
  • Hair loss on your feet or toes
  • A sore on your foot or leg that does not heal
  • Leg or foot looks reddish-blue when you are sitting
  • Erectile dysfunction, especially in men with diabetes

Risk factors

  • High blood sugar or diabetes
  • Current or past smoking
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Age over 70
  • Obesity, overweight
  • Physical inactivity

The SET PAD program at CMH is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please reach out to the CMH Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab department at (563) 578-2159 to learn more. The program at CMH is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation.