Compartment Syndrome

I am not a doctor nor do I play one on the Internet.......compartment syndrome is serious enough that I would want to see a sports medicine specialist to confirm the diagnosis.

Here's a little reading....

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/88014-overview

Thanks, I'll read through the article. Unfortunately I'm in the UK so seeing any kind of specialist won't be an option as I can't afford to do so privately, if I went to my GP he wouldn't even know what I was talking about. Ive seen them before about shin splints and just got ignored.

Shin splints while painful are not limb threatening. Compartment syndrome is - it can also lead to rhabdomyolysis, kidney failure and ultimately death. I wouldn't play around with your health. Seek medical attention.

You might just have chronically tight calves. That could explain the shin splints too. Try stretching your calves *hourly* for 30+ seconds and using the foam roller on them a few times a day. Also wear shoes with a thin, flexible sole with no raised heel. Most shoes aren't like that, which works the calves more. Examples of good shoes are Keds, Converse, minimalist shoes, etc.

That's completely unfounded. I've had a shin splint diagnosed and treated on the NHS.
If you have a genuine presentation the GP will recognise it and refer you on.

If you're not happy with your GP, change.

I had compartment syndrome about 20 years ago from a horse kick. I don't think you'd be walking around or inquiring on the internet. My entire leg was swollen and black from toes to butt. I had numbness in my ankle. I still have a very numb spot and a lump on the area where the injury and worst swelling occurred.

I was just wondering if anyone has had any success with treating compartment syndrome? I have it (suspected) in my calves and just walking for 10 minutes causes a lot of pain. There is a sports therapist at my gym who has had it and "cured" himself with massage, stretching and foam rolling and is confident he can do the same for me. I don't seem to be making any progress though and I will not have surgery. Has anyone been able to make any progress without surgery? Thanks

im a nurse and if you have comparment syndrome it's very serious. Why do you think you have this?

I have had chronic compartment syndrome for about five years now. I used to run cross country and was training for a marathon when I began to have pain in my calves. The pain is very distinct in that it is more of a constant ache, which turns to tingling and numbness with continued exercise. The pain will decrease when you stop but over time was just chronic with any sort of walking and everyday activity. It took over a year to diagnose and I had multiple x-rays and MRIs done to rule out shin splints and stress fractures. Chronic compartment syndrome is relatively uncommon but has a huge impact and forced me to completely stop working out for over a year. There is a pressure test that can be done to test the compartments of your leg and determine which ones are affected but your orthopedist can usually determine it just by speaking with you. I had a fasciotomy (which basically increases the room in the compartment so there is less pressure) on my right leg and then a year later on my left leg. After the surgeries I did several months of physical therapy. Today i am prescribed muscle relaxers and ibuprofen (as an anti-inflammatory) which I take every day in order to exercise and to mostly be pain free. I still have pain if I run consistently or even with some exercises (like squat jumps) but have found that if I slowly build up I can pretty much do any other exercise without too much of a problem.

I strongly suggest seeing your orthopedist and getting the surgery if it is recommended because otherwise your symptoms will probably continue to get worse.