Compartment Syndrome

[Obs]

Hey gotta busy day ahead...

I will get this up then Im out for a bit.

I am looking for FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES of
guys who have experienced compartment syndrome and what it felt like.

My calves are extremely dense and I finally got them to start growing. Now my right shin, off to the right side, just below my knee, has a burn like fire and it is becoming more chronic and more painful.

The first few times it happened if I sat on a bar stool and let my leg dangle it was like someone dumped molten metal under my skin below my knee.

There is no swelling, redness, or any symptoms other than tge burn. Now it happens commonly at night and any time I bump the upper part of that muscle. Just trying to figure out what this is and the symptoms fit compartment syn closer than anything else I have found.

If you have experienced this I would like to know what you did and what it felt like. It can literally cause the musvcle to die from what I read.
Appreciate any first hand experiences.

Again, first hand... I have google, pub med, and a good browser as well.

[Obs]

Laying in bed. Get the pain constant. Its just below the surface of the skin I can trace it it is so localized and sharp.

[almostgone]

I shot.you a PM, Obs.

[Obs]

Got it

[SocioMachiavelli]

I have it in both calves, mine is chronic and is onset by exertion. They ache in a very extreme manner, pain radiates around the front to the shin area and sometimes the only thing that doesn't hurt beneath the knee is the actual shin bone. This fades after reducing my level of activity but can come back on very quickly even when walking up a slight incline.

However, the symptoms are similar to popliteal artery entrapment and that would need ruling out as well as this can cause an increased pressure reading but the symptoms are a result of the entrapment.

Anything else you'd like to know?

[Obs]

I have it in both calves, mine is chronic and is onset by exertion. They ache in a very extreme manner, pain radiates around the front to the shin area and sometimes the only thing that doesn't hurt beneath the knee is the actual shin bone. This fades after reducing my level of activity but can come back on very quickly even when walking up a slight incline.

However, the symptoms are similar to popliteal artery entrapment and that would need ruling out as well as this can cause an increased pressure reading but the symptoms are a result of the entrapment.

Anything else you'd like to know?

Can you describe the pain

[SocioMachiavelli]

Dead achy feeling but also like my legs are being crushed, which is essentially what is happening

[Obs]

This is definitely a nerve issue.
Idk if its compartment but the pain is basically isolated and as if someone dumped molte metal on my muscle. Its like its imaginary. It a bur and really cant be described any other way. I rub it when it hurts and it has zero efffect on the pain like it would if that spot were actually damaged. I simply dont get it.

[SocioMachiavelli]

This is definitely a nerve issue.
Idk if its compartment but the pain is basically isolated and as if someone dumped molte metal on my muscle. Its like its imaginary. It a bur and really cant be described any other way. I rub it when it hurts and it has zero efffect on the pain like it would if that spot were actually damaged. I simply dont get it.

Is this brought on with exercise or always like this? If it is always like this even without exercise and it was compartment syndrome this would be acute and not chronic... you'd need to get to the ER otherwise you'd be losing the leg. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseas...ment-syndrome/

If it is exercise induced this can also be a cause of a nerve issue but it isn't usually a medical emergency.

If you already know this then I apologise in advanced as this will come across as patronising if you already know it. Your muscle is in a casing called a fascia, when you exercise the muscle expands due to the increase of oxygen,blood and pressure going into the leg. If your muscle is too big for your fascia it will attempt to expand but this will be restricted by the fascia which leads to a build up of oxygen, blood and excess pressure which causes the crushing sensation and deadness. This obviously subsides in exertional compartment syndrome when you stop exercising.

but with an acute case you need surgery to correct the injury which is causing it.

[Obs]

Is this brought on with exercise or always like this? If it is always like this even without exercise and it was compartment syndrome this would be acute and not chronic... you'd need to get to the ER otherwise you'd be losing the leg. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseas...ment-syndrome/

If it is exercise induced this can also be a cause of a nerve issue but it isn't usually a medical emergency.

If you already know this then I apologise in advanced as this will come across as patronising if you already know it. Your muscle is in a casing called a fascia, when you exercise the muscle expands due to the increase of oxygen,blood and pressure going into the leg. If your muscle is too big for your fascia it will attempt to expand but this will be restricted by the fascia which leads to a build up of oxygen, blood and excess pressure which causes the crushing sensation and deadness. This obviously subsides in exertional compartment syndrome when you stop exercising.

but with an acute case you need surgery to correct the injury which is causing it.

Yes I understood and it is either compartment or a never pinched (god knows where)

It keeps getting more frequent and worse. Once it is triggered it is as if its on fire bit doesnt hurt like that but for 15 seconds or so. The first times it was happening I jumped ot of my chair looking for who or what was burning the fuck out of me, only to find the pain vanished and nothing had happened.
Now bumping it can be a trigger yet rubbing it does nothing to change the sensation. It feels asleep at times now. Numb, slight tingle then sometimes it just randomly goes off.

A vet her warned me it could be a clot and now I am beginning to wonder because it is near my knee and now has a sleepy feeling at times.

[Obs]

btw I appreciate the info.
I am not dead set on what I had but I want to rule out compartment or figure out if I have it.

[SocioMachiavelli]

Yes I understood and it is either compartment or a never pinched (god knows where)

It keeps getting more frequent and worse. Once it is triggered it is as if its on fire bit doesnt hurt like that but for 15 seconds or so. The first times it was happening I jumped ot of my chair looking for who or what was burning the fuck out of me, only to find the pain vanished and nothing had happened.
Now bumping it can be a trigger yet rubbing it does nothing to change the sensation. It feels asleep at times now. Numb, slight tingle then sometimes it just randomly goes off.

A vet her warned me it could be a clot and now I am beginning to wonder because it is near my knee and now has a sleepy feeling at times.

Brother what the fk are you doing sitting here typing, go get that shit checked out.

[Obs]

Brother what the fk are you doing sitting here typing, go get that shit checked out.

I do this a lot since my health insurance tripled and I dropped it.

[Obs]

Learned what sets this of the worst now.
If something rubs my leg in a downward motion on that muscle it is instant hellfire. Just a light downward brush is all it takes.

Gonna talk to my chiro about it he does a lot of things other than back adjustments and used to train bbs for comp.

This is getting ridiculous though.

The pain is fleeting. Severe then gone.
Rubbing it downward feels like a wire brush on bare muscle.

[almostgone]

Learned what sets this of the worst now.
If something rubs my leg in a downward motion on that muscle it is instant hellfire. Just a light downward brush is all it takes.

Gonna talk to my chiro about it he does a lot of things other than back adjustments and used to train bbs for comp.

This is getting ridiculous though.

The pain is fleeting. Severe then gone.
Rubbing it downward feels like a wire brush on bare muscle.

Climbing gear has to be a total b!tch? Please post up what the chiro says, if he orders imaging, etc.

[Obs]

Climbing gear has to be a total b!tch? Please post up what the chiro says, if he orders imaging, etc.

Will do.
He is a smart chiro, not average. He has a dozen employees or more and knows a lot about muscle. I feel confident he will tell me what needs to be done at the least.
Only chiro I ever met that told me to "focus on negative reps" lol

[almostgone]

Will do.
He is a smart chiro, not average. He has a dozen employees or more and knows a lot about muscle. I feel confident he will tell me what needs to be done at the least.
Only chiro I ever met that told me to "focus on negative reps" lol

There seem to be more chiros now that focus on rehab vs. the majority of the old school guys that were strictly focused on adjustments.

[waltr64]

My physical therapist told me one issue is (like me) most people only work the back of the calf muscle and we get an imbalance. He had me do toe lifts and since my gym does not have a machine for the front of the claf I used the low cable and did some light weight toe flexing and extensions using a hand grip. After a few weeks mine felt a lot better. Good luck.

[Obs]

My physical therapist told me one issue is (like me) most people only work the back of the calf muscle and we get an imbalance. He had me do toe lifts and since my gym does not have a machine for the front of the claf I used the low cable and did some light weight toe flexing and extensions using a hand grip. After a few weeks mine felt a lot better. Good luck.

Luckily my job require some serious toe lifting when I pull my gaffs out of a tree. I haven't had my gaffs on lately but I am not so sure I will be able to when its time.

[Obs]

There seem to be more chiros now that focus on rehab vs. the majority of the old school guys that were strictly focused on adjustments.

Ever do accupucture?

[Obs]

Got back and neck adjustment, electro stim therapy, and accupunctuure. Doing a follow up wednesday.
Dont think its fixed.

He said I need to stay hydrated and stay away from energy drinks. Told me to start stretching 100x.

Compartment isnt ruled out. He said its a worst case but will know more wednesday. Sent me out with accupuncture band aids.

I am gonna buy an electro stimulator and use it as a sex toy.

[almostgone]

Ever do accupucture?

No sir, I have not, but always have been intrigued by the concept.

[almostgone]

Got back and neck adjustment, electro stim therapy, and accupunctuure. Doing a follow up wednesday.
Dont think its fixed.

He said I need to stay hydrated and stay away from energy drinks. Told me to start stretching 100x.

Compartment isnt ruled out. He said its a worst case but will know more wednesday. Sent me out with accupuncture band aids.

I am gonna buy an electro stimulator and use it as a sex toy.

Hope it gets right without resorting to the powered sexual devices? He throw any comments out there about it possibly being resolved through spinal adjustmentz?

[Obs]

Hope it gets right without resorting to the powered sexual devices? He throw any comments out there about it possibly being resolved through spinal adjustmentz?

Yes he did but I am afraid thats not it.
I can tell when my disc is out which he said could be the cause.

As he was almost done I rolled over and brushed it against the table and got the table and same shit.
It feels like something is stretched to tight and needs to break free. I dunno yet but I will find out eventually

[almostgone]

Yes he did but I am afraid thats not it.
I can tell when my disc is out which he said could be the cause.

As he was almost done I rolled over and brushed it against the table and got the table and same shit.
It feels like something is stretched to tight and needs to break free. I dunno yet but I will find out eventually

I swear it sounds like an entrapped nerve, Obs. The good thing about that is if it is nerve entrapment, it can generally be dealt with and the myelin sheath and nerve will regenerate, it just takes some time.
He knows what you do for a living, right?

[Obs]

I swear it sounds like an entrapped nerve, Obs. The good thing about that is if it is nerve entrapment, it can generally be dealt with and the myelin sheath and nerve will regenerate, it just takes some time.
He knows what you do for a living, right?

Yes, he knows I sell my body to women.

[almostgone]

Yes, he knows I sell my body to women.

Sweet.

[Obs]

What does the entrapped nerve feel like?

I just rmembered I was having a similar pain in my thumb/wrist area for a while but it went away....

[almostgone]

What does the entrapped nerve feel like?

I just rmembered I was having a similar pain in my thumb/wrist area for a while but it went away....

For me, it was random hits of pain at first, then a gradual loss of strength, followed by atrophy of the left arm for curling type movements and lots of oddball pain again as the nerve regenerated.
Lots of stretching and exercises with light weight bands helped me recover. Also, the chiro did some scraping and Class IV laser therapy.

[Obs]

For me, it was random hits of pain at first, then a gradual loss of strength, followed by atrophy of the left arm for curling type movements and lots of oddball pain again as the nerve regenerated.
Lots of stretching and exercises with light weight bands helped me recover. Also, the chiro did some scraping and Class IV laser therapy.

Man I am betting and hoping you are right.
I never stretch and I have the worst flexibility of anyone I know.

[Obs]

I suppose the pain would vary by how and where the nerve was pinched...

[Obs]

Attachment 174414

Accupuncture bandaids... Leave the needles in for 24 hours. Never knew such a thing existed

[almostgone]

Attachment 174414

Accupuncture bandaids... Leave the needles in for 24 hours. Never knew such a thing existed

Whaaaaat? The hell you say. Never have heard of that. They must be finer than frog hair. Interesting stuff!!

[Obs]

Whaaaaat? The hell you say. Never have heard of that. They must be finer than frog hair. Interesting stuff!!

I never got to see what the looked like. I will post a pic when i pull one. First one he did made my leg jump like a frog leg in a frying pan

[Couchlockd]

Attachment 174414

Accupuncture bandaids... Leave the needles in for 24 hours. Never knew such a thing existed

How long are the noodles?

[Obs]

How long are the noodles?

I cant remember if he said 1.5 or 2.5mm. I will measure with my digital caliper in the morning.

[Couchlockd]

I cant remember if he said 1.5 or 2.5mm. I will measure with my digital caliper in the morning.

Oh ok I was assuming a half to full inch of a hair thin needle

[Obs]

Oh ok I was assuming a half to full inch of a hair thin needle

That wouldnt work so good moving i dont think.
I am gonna pull one

[Obs]

Attachment 174418


Be damd.. They biggern I thought.
Looks like the just srew a luer lok 25ga onto a bandaid

[Obs]

Attachment 174419

1.5mm Attachment 174419I question the effectiveness but for the fact that one made my leg involuntarily jump.