Lateral Compartment Syndrome

What is a compartment syndrome? A compartment syndrome occurs when a muscle gets too big for the sheath that surrounds it causing pressure and pain. They can be acute or chronic. Acute compartment syndrome This 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 when walking or running. A swelling or tenderness. 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 - for 20 minutes every two hours. See a sports injury professional. What can a sports injury specialist do? Apply ultrasound to help swelling dissipate. A surgeon can operate to surgically decompress the compartment. Chronic compartment syndrome This injury 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 that 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 (have you sprained your ankle badly or often?). What can the athlete do? Rest until pain has gone. See a specialist to confirm your problem (it might just be a chronic strain that has not been allowed to heal properly). Apply heat and use a heat retainer. What can a specialist or doctor do? Prescribe anti-inflammatory medication. Use sports massage techniques to stretch the muscle sheath. Operate.   The information contained on this site is purely a source of information and can at no time replace the expert eye of a qualified professional. We recommend seeking professional advice before embarking on any form of self treatment. Neither the content or nor any other service provided through mybesttennis.com is intended to be relied on for medical diagnosis or treatment. Never delay in seeking professional advice because of something seen on mybesttennis.com.