Pain on left leg just above ankle extending to below the knee

You may have the same condition that I have been recently diagnosed with, and it is called "Exertional Anterolateral Compartment Syndrome". I experience the pain in both legs, and it usually starts to hurt within 5 - 10 minutes of running (and only hurts when I run). I have had this since I started running about 3 years ago, and have just finally been diagnosed after several attempts to make the pain go away. You name it, I've tried it; RICE, physiotherapy, orthopedics, massage therapy, accupuncture, taking time off and starting again progressing the distance very slowly, and mixing in walking breaks with the running, and finally had a bone scan to rule out stress fractures and shin splints. What my sports doctor said is happening is that the connective tissue ("fascia") that surrounds the front shin muscle should expand during exertion, but for some people it just doesn't expand enough to allow for the blood flow and muscle movement that occurs during running. The bad news is I have been told the only way to fix this is surgery. I am still waiting to see an Orthopaedic Surgeon to find out what the surgery entails, and how long the recovery is. It has been a long and frustrating process to get to this point. Giving up running is not an option for me at this stage of my life (I am only 26!) so I will go through with the surgery if that is the only solution. I hope in your case this is not what you have!!

Good luck!

amydemeray is probably right about it being compartment syndrome. I have a lot of trouble with this also, but haven't been ready to resort to surgery yet, though I may in the next couple of years depending on what level I decide to take my competition to (I find it doesn't hamper my endurance, just speed).

Some things I find can help:
-don't let your shoes wear down too much, that makes it infinitely worse for me and takes me weeks to come back from
-make sure you do a good warm-up - don't start out too fast; toe taps, writing the alphabet with your foot, etc can help too
-stretch and massage them - extend your foot with toe out behind you or kneel on grass and lift your knee up, massaging the very top and bottom of the muscle around the insertion points really helps sometimes in addition to rubbing the whole muscle (I like to knead with my fist or dig with thumbs)
-stretch your calves - both the straight and bent knee ways to get upper and lower
-ICE!!!! - the paper/styrofoam cup filled with water and frozen method works well, as does icing the ankle insertion point straight on when that gets sore

Good luck with this and if I think of anything else that I do I'll post it

I saw my surgeon today to schedule the same surgery -- feel free to ask anything I might be able to help with (my posts here about compartment syndrome have all been unanswered, alas, but now I am extremely well informed). Also there are a few active threads at runnersworld about the surgery, the Stryker pressure test (diagnostic), and rehab -- even some incision and scar photos!

Gail

Gee thanks for the good news. I was just hoping to hear I needed to stretch a bit more. I have been trying the ice and calf stretching with no relief. I'll have to give the message more of a try.

Gail,
Keep us posted on the surgery. I hope all goes well. I'll check out the runners world site for more info. Thanks.

first of all I wouldnot jump the gun and assume its compartent syndrome. That is actually pretty rare.  Shim spliints are usually pain on the inside along the bone...I actually thnk there is an rrticle about it on BT ( I wrote it a while ago ) Couldbe a stress fracture...g.et thee to an orthopedist

Thanks for recommending the Runnersworld web site. It's nice (in a not so nice kind of way) to see there are other people out there who know what a fasciotomy is. For your sake Fentress I hope you are experiencing something that is more easily treatable than Compartment Syndrome. I didn't mean to break out the worst case scenario, I just wanted to let you know about CS as I wish I would have known about it long ago so I didn't have to go through 3 years of being told "it's probably shin splints, take some Motrin, ice your shins, and take it easy (like I have a choice in taking it easy when my shins feel like they are going to explode and I lose control of my feet).
I wish you all the best with your surgery and recovery Gail!

Fen-- FWIW, I'd suggest seeing your doctor earlier rather than later. Whatever it is will benefit from early medical attention, CECS can be treated early with the right PT etc., and some typical shin treatments can exacerbate it (toe taps -- no way for me, and no compression for the RICE ... wish I'd known all of that earlier).

And hey, running with so much pain or tightness is no fun. I spent the entirety of my first season *walking* the run (nearly always FOP swim and DFL run but telling myself it was better than DNS) and wish I'd just done this surgery years ago when I first heard about the problem. It is bad in a wetsuit (compression), worse off the bike (who knows why), and always present in the first mile of a run. It took a complete crash-and-burn at a race to motivate me to go to a good sports doc (races a mean HIM himself) and tell him I was pretty sure I had CECS and he should either talk me out of that belief or treat it for me. Managed health care being what it is, I'm now in the queue for surgery ... it's a long queue, so the 2007 season isn't looking good.

I think I will be visiting the Ortho next week. I went running/slopping/walking again today and the pain is too much to manage and my foot/ankle just fails to work (cannot bring my toes up) after a bit. I did go on the Runners World site and from what everyone says about Compartment Syndrome is exactly what I am felling sans the tingling. Thanks for the advice and being my support group!

So how did it work out for you?
My doc had a sudden opening in his schedule, so I am on for Tuesday. Now I have to get the rest of my life in order, fast!

Thanks for checking in. I have been having problems with my insurance and have yet to see a Dr. I was able to run today for the first time in a long time without any pain. It was only 8 minutes, but it felt great. I started off walking for 15 minutes before I tried to run, so maybe I just have to warm up lots. I still plan on seeing a Dr. abou the problem. Let me know how your visit turns out.

Eric