Anyone have a problem with this? What were your symptoms and how did you treat it? Thanks.
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Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
How do you know you have compartment syndrome- this can be a ER emergency.
Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
I guess this can be quite hard to diagnose, but as Dr. Zollinger said in his note if you are concerned get it checked out by a Dr.
Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
I assume you mean chronic compartment syndrome.
I was diagnosed with it a few years ago. I think it was a cause of my chronic achilles tendinitis. My symptoms were that my calf would get tight during a run, and then my foot would go numb. It happened about 1 x a month over 3 years, then suddenly a lot. I would stop and stretch and try to run through it. I'd end up taking off my shoe to relieve some of the pain in my foot. It would eventually subside and I could continue my run.
I did a lot of PT, took a lot of time off, saw an ART practitioner, massage therapist, got a new type of running shoes, stretch a lot more etc. Since I've been back running (over a year) I have not had one problem.
I was diagnosed with it a few years ago. I think it was a cause of my chronic achilles tendinitis. My symptoms were that my calf would get tight during a run, and then my foot would go numb. It happened about 1 x a month over 3 years, then suddenly a lot. I would stop and stretch and try to run through it. I'd end up taking off my shoe to relieve some of the pain in my foot. It would eventually subside and I could continue my run.
I did a lot of PT, took a lot of time off, saw an ART practitioner, massage therapist, got a new type of running shoes, stretch a lot more etc. Since I've been back running (over a year) I have not had one problem.
Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
This is a pretty good resource:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/...ent-syndrome/DS00789
If it sounds like you, then go get the pressure test. I had the surgery.
Go ahead and google "compartment syndrome surgery photos". I have a thin 3 inch scar on each leg. Nothing like you will see in the photos. I guess the state of the art has progressed quite a bit.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/...ent-syndrome/DS00789
If it sounds like you, then go get the pressure test. I had the surgery.
Go ahead and google "compartment syndrome surgery photos". I have a thin 3 inch scar on each leg. Nothing like you will see in the photos. I guess the state of the art has progressed quite a bit.
Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
When I first started running I had it bad, couldn't run more than a mile or so.
Turns out I was overstriding, like WAY overstriding. As in I though that to run fast you had to strech your foot out as far ahead of you as possible. Not one of these kinda overstrides a little bit types of people. I had it full on.
Well, if you are running like that, when your heel hits through ground your tibia is putting a torque on your foot to slam it down to the ground. You don't want to SLAM it down to the ground so your body kinda naturally holds it back a little to control the descent. The muscle trying to do that is the anterior tibialis. In my case it just wasn't up to it.
I went to a physical therapist who obliquely mentioned having your foot land underneath you when you run.
Bingo, I was golden. Went out and started running with my foot landing underneath me, or more underneath me actually, and I was off. SO I'd look at that first. Pretty easy to see with a standard camcorder.
If it is a problem you have, you can look up any number of ways to "eliminate overstriding". Including a few "systems" to do it.
One other thing is that your legs are very likely not to have the strength to run very far in your new way of running and in fact if you don't take it slow you can get an injury from it, just cause the musculature isn't ready. So be cool about it.
You will probably not get the change your running form type of advice from a medical person. I think it is mostly because of the possibility of injury from making the form change, not something they like to do. But consider what your options are, if really are at the end of your rope then trying a form change might be worth it.
I read a nice piece on compartment syndrome from a biomechanist in Australia she pointed out all the ins and outs, options for treatment (not many of them) and surgery etc. I emailed her and mentioned that if you start landing with your foot underneath you you can eliminate the stress on the ant tibialis. She wrote back saying that form changes are dangerous, while true; a person with ant compartment syndrome already isn't running, so how big of a risk are we taking :-) If I change my form I could hurt my achilles and then what? I might have to stop running? I have already stopped running due to the compartment syndrome.
Turns out I was overstriding, like WAY overstriding. As in I though that to run fast you had to strech your foot out as far ahead of you as possible. Not one of these kinda overstrides a little bit types of people. I had it full on.
Well, if you are running like that, when your heel hits through ground your tibia is putting a torque on your foot to slam it down to the ground. You don't want to SLAM it down to the ground so your body kinda naturally holds it back a little to control the descent. The muscle trying to do that is the anterior tibialis. In my case it just wasn't up to it.
I went to a physical therapist who obliquely mentioned having your foot land underneath you when you run.
Bingo, I was golden. Went out and started running with my foot landing underneath me, or more underneath me actually, and I was off. SO I'd look at that first. Pretty easy to see with a standard camcorder.
If it is a problem you have, you can look up any number of ways to "eliminate overstriding". Including a few "systems" to do it.
One other thing is that your legs are very likely not to have the strength to run very far in your new way of running and in fact if you don't take it slow you can get an injury from it, just cause the musculature isn't ready. So be cool about it.
You will probably not get the change your running form type of advice from a medical person. I think it is mostly because of the possibility of injury from making the form change, not something they like to do. But consider what your options are, if really are at the end of your rope then trying a form change might be worth it.
I read a nice piece on compartment syndrome from a biomechanist in Australia she pointed out all the ins and outs, options for treatment (not many of them) and surgery etc. I emailed her and mentioned that if you start landing with your foot underneath you you can eliminate the stress on the ant tibialis. She wrote back saying that form changes are dangerous, while true; a person with ant compartment syndrome already isn't running, so how big of a risk are we taking :-) If I change my form I could hurt my achilles and then what? I might have to stop running? I have already stopped running due to the compartment syndrome.
Re: Anterior Compartment Syndrome [ironboom]
[ In reply to ]
I had a textbook case of exercise-induced anterior CS. The cure for me was fasciotomies on both legs. This article at http://www.runnersworld.com/...0-291-2859-0,00.html was the one that first clued me in that I didn't have "shin splints". After reading that article, I found a sports doc who was able to diagnose the problem and eventually do the fasciotomies.
The subject has been discussed here a few times before. See http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1336716 or http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=1309348
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-Mark Rebuck, http://www.markrebuck.com/
I had this surgery on both legs 20 years ago...6" cut down both legs to release the facia pressure. Good results and no problems except a nerve was nicked in my left leg and a two inch area in my shin is dead but other then that it went well and i havn't had any problems since. i would recommend attempting every possible treatment method prior to going under the knife though.