Lateral Compartment Syndrome

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 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 or cold therapy - for 20 minutes every two hours.

• See a sports injury professional.

What can a sports injury specialist do?

• Apply ultrasound to help swelling dissipate.

• Prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation.

• A surgeon can operate to surgically decompress the compartment.

Chronic Compartment Syndrome

Compartment 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 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 such as ibuprofen.

• Use sports massage techniques to stretch the muscle sheath.

• Operate.