Summary. The effect of a new physical treatment modality, Vacusac, was tested on a group of patients with stable intermittent claudication.Twenty‐two patients with a median age of 65 years and a median duration of intermittent claudication of 5 years were randomized to either active or placebo treatments. Seventeen patients completed the study. The effect of treatment was quantified by measurements of systemic ‐and peripheral systolic blood pressures and by measurements of the pain‐free and the maximal walking distance on a treadmill. The ankle pressure index (ankle systolic pressure/arm systolic pressure) and toe pressure index (toe systolic pressure/arm systolic pressure) were calculated.After 25 active treatments, administered over a period of 2 months, the patients allocated to this group attained a significant increase in the pain‐free walking distance from 54 m (24–107 m) to 99 m (30–420 m) (P < 0·05) and in the maximal walking distance from 99 m (36–182 m) to 185 m (68–591 m) (P < 0·05). The patient group receiving 25 placebo treatments did not show any significant changes in either the pain‐free or the maximal walking distance. This group then received 25 active treatments over a period of 2 months. This active treatment resulted in a significant increase in the pain‐free walking distance from 51 m (14–100 m) to 86 m (18–1000 m) (P < 0·05) and in the maximal walking distance from 98 m (40–199 m) to 175 m (51–1000 m) (P < 0·05). Ten out of the 17 patients who completed the study achieved a doubling of their maximal walking distance. The patients randomized to active treatment attained a significant increase in the ankle pressure index from 0–46 (0–39‐0·67) to 0·58 (0·46‐0·94) (P < 0·05) while the toe pressure index was unchanged. The patients randomized to placebo treatment did not show any significant changes in these ratios, either during the period of placebo treatment, or during the period of active treatment.In conclusion, our study has shown that physical treatment with the Vacusac equipment significantly increases the walking distance in patients with stable, intermittent claudication of long duration.