Symptoms

Your limbs have specific areas of muscle (compartments). Your lower leg, for example, has four compartments. Chronic exertional compartment syndrome often occurs in the same compartment of an affected limb on both sides of the body, usually the lower leg.

Signs and symptoms can include:

• Aching, burning or cramping pain in a compartment of the affected limb
• Tightness in the affected limb
• Numbness or tingling in the affected limb
• Weakness of the affected limb
• Foot drop, in severe cases, if legs are affected
• Occasionally, swelling or bulging as a result of a muscle hernia

Pain caused by chronic exertional compartment syndrome typically follows this pattern:

• Begins consistently after a certain time, distance or intensity of exertion after you start exercising the affected limb
• Progressively worsens as you exercise
• Becomes less intense or stops completely within 15 minutes of stopping the activity
• Over time, recovery time after exercise may increase

Taking a complete break from exercise or performing only low-impact activity might relieve your symptoms, but relief is usually only temporary. Once you take up running again, for instance, those familiar symptoms usually come back.

When to see a doctor

If you have recurring unusual pain, swelling, weakness, loss of sensation or soreness while exercising or participating in sports activities, talk to your doctor.

Sometimes chronic exertional compartment syndrome is mistaken for shin splints, a more common cause of leg pain in young people who do a lot of vigorous weight-bearing activity, such as running. If you think you have shin splints and the pain doesn't get better with self-care, talk to your doctor.