

Lateral Compartment Syndrome

Lateral compartmentA compartment syndrome occurs when the muscles swell too big for the surrounding sheath and can be acute or chronic.


Acute compartment syndrome

An acute compartment syndrome can occur due to an impact or injury which causes bleeding and swelling within the muscle sheath.

The extra fluid causes too much pressure within the muscle sheath. Symptoms include pain at the back of the leg especially when walking or running and a swelling or tenderness in the muscle on the outside of the calf.

What can the athlete do?

Rest until pain has gone. Work the upper body instead or swim if this can be done pain free. Apply ice or cold therapy for 20 minutes every two hours. Ice should not be applied directly to the skin but wrap in a wet tea towel. Wearing a compression support may also help reduce the swelling and support the muscle.

What can a sports injury specialist do?

Elastic calf supportA professional therapist can perform compartment pressure tests and confirm the diagnosis. They may apply ultrasound or other electrotherapy techniques to help swelling dissipate. A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation. In severe cases a surgeon can operate to surgically decompress the compartment.

Chronic compartment syndrome

Over pronation and foot biomechanicsCompartment syndrome mainly occurs in runners and comes on because the muscle has grown too big too quickly for the sheath that surrounds it. Symptoms include pain which gradually comes on during a run, getting worse until it is impossible to continue. After a period of rest the pain disappears only to come back when the athlete tries to run again.

The causes of this can be training too much too quickly but you can also be more prone to this if you have laxity in your ankle ligaments for example after severe or recurrent ankle sprains. Biomechanical problems of the foot such as over pronation or over supination may also contribute to the load on the muscle increasing the chance of a chronic compartment syndrome.

What can the athlete do?

Calf massageRest until pain has gone. See a specialist to confirm your problem as the injury may just be a chronic muscle strain that has not been allowed to heal properly. If a compartment syndrome is diagnoses then an extended period of rest in conjunction with correction of foot biomechanics may be required to allow the over developed muscle to atrophy and the sheath to accommodate it.

What can a specialist or doctor do?

A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen.  Sports massage techniques to stretch the muscle sheath may have some success. Cross friction massage applied to the sheath may help stretch it and allow more room for the muscle within to function.

In persistent or severe cases the best solution is usually to operate releasing the sheath and allowing the muscle to expand naturally.

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