SBL Heart Center Patient Stories

The Power of Walking 

Mike Sandiford overcomes years of leg pain and celebrates a future of mobility thanks to SBL's SET-PAD program.

The Sarah Bush Lincoln Heart Center staff is celebrating its first graduate of a new program: SBL Supervised Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease (SET-PAD). The graduate, Charleston resident Mike Sandiford, is celebrating relief from leg pain.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is primarily caused by a buildup of fatty plaque in artery walls that makes blood vessels narrow and reduces blood flow, usually to the legs. It is a progressive disease driven by smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Blockages were discovered in Mike’s legs nearly 10 years ago. Since then, any pressure on Mike’s legs—whether it was walking at work or taking a stroll around town— caused his pain to flare. Stents were even placed in both of Mike’s legs to improve blood flow, but the pain never resolved. Yet the new SET-PAD program finally gave him a clear remedy and plan to stave off future pain.

“My legs are much better now than they were before I started the program,” Mike said. “I’m very proud of myself for doing the program, and I am happy I completed it.”

The SBL Heart Center staff call Mike a rock star for his progression through the program, presenting him as a star pupil for his improvement. 

“The staff are the real stars because they were terrific and helped me work through my pain,” Mike said. Sarah Bush Lincoln Exercise Physiologist JoAnna Schultz guided Mike through the two-and-a-half-month journey. The program relies on the power of walking to strengthen blood vessels in the legs and improve blood flow. 

Walking sessions last 30 to 60 minutes of increasing intensity. Though walking was a struggle at first, Mike walked at a rate of 3.2 miles per hour at a 13 percent incline by the end of the program. “I definitely noticed improvement as each session came and went, and I am able to walk much better now with much less pain,” Mike said.

Now Mike has a blueprint for lifestyle changes that will help his legs stay strong. The first step was becoming a non-smoker more than a year ago and then staying committed to living smoke-free. Making dietary changes and following the exercise plans he received through SET-PAD are essential steps for staying on track. Mike said he is focused on increasing his walking to make sure he maintains his progress. 

He is grateful for the program and the staff who supported him. “Everyone was kind and caring there. JoAnna, who was my trainer almost the entire time, was excellent,” Mike said. “She was very knowledgeable, and she would even walk with me during some sessions.”

For more information about The Heart Center at Sarah Bush Lincoln, please call 217 238-4960.