As I have stated before, I didn’t start running until I turned 40…December 28, 2007. It was on January 2nd that I first laced them up and ran. That day hurt. I couldn’t run a 400 without feeling near death. Later that summer I developed a small lump on the right leg, above my ankle. After a hard hill run, it hurt to stretch….pain shot from that lump. Over time, I developed a lump on the other leg too. A great runner, Martin Johns, told me it looked like compartment syndrome. What? Compartment syndrome? I just got started with running, I can’t have something that serious.
I continued running. Dealt with the pain as it appeared. Anti-inflammatories didn’t help. Ice didn’t help. Rest did nothing for it either. It never got better.
Once I moved to Oklahoma, the symptoms weren’t as visible for some reason. Could be that I wasn’t running hills anymore….in case you didn’t know…Oklahoma is pretty flat for the most part. I trained for, and ran, my first marathon in November of 2009 with no pain, no discomfort. Finally, it caught me. On 2/13/10, while on a routine 10 mile run… every step hurt like hell. Once I stopped, the pain did too. So I went to Urgent Care.
Let me describe the area affected before I continue. Feel for your shin bone……and move your fingers toward the outer portion of the lower leg. Feel that muscle there? That is where my pain is at that moment. There are “compartments” in the lower leg. These compartment house the muscle, blood vessels and nerves. In compartment syndrome, the compartment doesn’t have room to allow the muscle to swell during exercise. Follow this link for more……http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-exertional-compartment-syndrome/DS00789
So, while I sat at Urgent Care, I posted a message with my symptoms on Twitter. In a matter of minutes Josh Holland, a total stranger to me, suggests compartment syndrome. I Googled it, and sure enough, those were my symptoms. I told my doctor what I thought, she agreed. The referral was made.
The orthopaedic surgeon agreed with my diagnosis. He explained the possibilities that might cause that pain….possible stress fracture (x-ray ruled that out), shin splits (not with my shoes and insoles), and compartment syndrome. The lumps on my legs gave it away and he began to talk about the “test”. They say the Pressure Test for compartment syndrome is more painful than the surgery. Basically, they fill the compartment with fluid, then check pressure in 4 spots. After a 15 minute run, you repeat the pressure checks. For me that would have been 18 needles in my legs. The surgery is now scheduled and hopefully I can run pain free in a few short ( or Loooonnnggg) weeks.
