What If It’s Worse?

If there are no fractures and the pain does not desist, compartment syndrome is the next suspect. Compartment syndrome occurs when there is swelling in the anterior compartments and the swelling compresses nerves and vessels. Sometimes this can arise from internal bleeding of muscular tissue or simply swelling. The swelling can have a permanent effect on nerves and blood vessels and therefore can be damning to the future use of your lower extremity. As it is considered a medical emergency, it is important to consult a healthcare provider immediately. If you are an athlete or an industrial employee and you have an athletic trainer available to you, this is a great place to start. From there they can refer you onto a specialist and provide a list of tests they ran to help support potential compartment syndrome. Having a team of professionals exam you and make a collective effort can help move things along and shore up Differing opinions while you are at home waiting for the next steps.

If it is compartment syndrome, there are different routes taken to fix the problem that may require a surgical procedure. Physicians may order an emergency fasciotomy of the lower leg, which helps the vessels and nerves “breath” by opening up the skin and releasing the fascia to allow this to occur. The pressure can be enough to cause permanent damage, so acting quick in an emergency situation is vital. Recovery from this condition can take months, so work or athletic activity is almost a guaranteed shelved concern. You will work with athletic trainers or physical therapists to regain your strength as the scarring begins to heal. In time you should begin to be able to walk and not have as much pain or numbness ranging from your foreleg down to your toes and should definitely not have any loss of function as long as you are following procedures as prescribed by your medical professionals. In a case where the symptoms have not subsided, be sure to reach out to your physician and explain the currency of your recovery.

READ Restless legs syndrome

These types of injuries will always start out as nagging, annoying aches and pains, but are obviously much more serious as described prior. It is important to remember consequences of not treating smaller injuries as they come, which can be limb-threatening. Trauma can occur from simple acts of hitting your leg against a hard object or surface such as a step or side of your car or even a coffee table. To avoid potential chronic pain and swelling, slap some ice on the leg to prevent further complications. When participating in athletic activity or a physical workload, keep in mind your aches and pains everyday are not a new injury to each of those days, but a compilation of injuries that occur over a period of time and they should not be ignored. Along with shin splints and compartment syndrome of the lower extremity, the upper limbs (forearms) can also be susceptible to compartment syndrome with those who work with their hands constantly.