A 25-year-old woman presents with deep, aching lower leg pain after a long run. Initial thoughts lead to a muscle strain or shin splints, but the pain worsens despite rest and pain relief. What could be the diagnosis?
While muscle strain or shin splints might be the first thoughts for post-exercise leg pain, the progressive worsening of pain suggests another condition, such as compartment syndrome. This is a condition in which increased pressure within one of the body's compartments results in insufficient blood supply to tissue within that space. It can be caused by any condition that disrupts the vascular supply, such as an injury. Diagnosis is often clinical, with pain out of proportion to what would be expected being a key finding. Emergent surgery is often required to prevent permanent muscle and nerve damage.