Compartment Syndrome

Go to: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may98/tipsheet2.shtml

1) its hard to diagnose;

2) a promise of a quick return to regular training is not necessarily true as they haven't looked inside;

3) it wont get better unless you have it operated on!

email me if you want more info on my personal experience

I had exertional compartment syndrome and I ended up getting surgery on both of my legs 4 days ago. It's not bad, get the surgery if you can cause it's supposed to take off the pain basically forever without any repercussions.

My daughter just had the surgery 5 weeks ago. She is pain free first time in her life. She had therapy to alleviate the swelling and increase flexiblity after the operation. She was able to begin running two weeks ago. She ran 6 miles at 9:00 pace yesterday. Great progress every day.

History was a good youth runner 18:18 5k eigth grade, but had constant interruptions in training relating to shin problems. Unable to break 22:00 first two years of high school. It seemed she was prone to shin splints. Tried running through them last XC. Pain was unbearable. Took off six months and tried running again, the "shin splints came back immediately. Took her to a sports othepedic doctor (absolutely one of the best). At did not think she had the condition. Did extensive testing - CAT scans and bone scans essentialy to rule out other conditions. Then administered the definitive test which is very painful. The results measure blood pressure in the four muscle sheaths in the lower leg. If one has high readings you absolutely have the condition. It is possible to have inconclusive readings and still have the condition. My daughter had quite high readings in one leg, which turned out had a herniated muscle (another indication you really need the operation).

The operation is relatively benign. A two inch incision on each the inside and outside of each leg. The four muscle sheaths are cut from the knee to the ankle. Recovery is quick for most people. My daughter had a herniated muscle that took a little longer to heal. The theory behind the surgery is to relieve the restricted blood flow to the muscles. To this point for my daughter it has been a great success. It was a relief to her to find out she had a physical condition that was preventing her from training. It remains to be seem at what level she will come back to, but she is much happier running pain free for the first time in her life.

My recommendation is to go a reputable othepdic sports doctor that is familiar with compartment syndrone. We have been in contact with others that have had the operation, all successful - the length of recovery seems to vary with the individual. The conditon is not caused by running. It is just genetic bad luck to have inflexibilty in the muscle sheaths. We have a younger daughter who runs with no problems or symtoms. It's something coaches should be aware of. My ignorance cost my daughter years of running. Best of luck.

After running for seven pain-free years following a bilateral anterior comparment release, I am about to undergo a second bilateral release. Like several of the other people who responded to your question, I lived with compartment syndrome and its main symptom of seemingly endless pressure/pain in my lower legs. Although mine was chronic, it worsened acutely (I couldn't tolerate it any more as the pressure seemed to worsen with each run).

A good ortho should be able to diagnose your condition (if it hasn't already been diagnosed) with a simple test in which they test the compartment pressures pre and post exercise. They look for elevated pressures to secure the diagnosis, but also go by the symptoms described (like pressure, numbness, loss of foot pulse--which occurs in acute compartment syndrome, etc.) by the patient. They check the pressures by inserting a small pressure guage into the compartment.

As I said, the time between the release was great. The procedure took care of the pain immediately and I didn't have the slightest problem until I began marathon training seven weeks ago.

I wish you the best and please feel free to contact me if you need more information.