Exertional Compartment Testing

Exercise induced leg pain is very common in athletes.  There are many cause for this and these include:

• Stress fractures
• Shin splints
• Chronic exertional compartment syndrome(CECS)
• Nerve entrapment
• Artery entrapment
  
  

Exertional compartment testing is performed to rule out CECS.  This condition causes the athlete to develop leg pain and sometimes numbness and tingling with exercise.  This happens because pressure builds up in the muscle compartments of the lower leg reducing blood flow to the muscles.

Compartment testing is performed by using a pressure manometer to measure the pressures of the muscle compartments before and after exercise.  We will have you run or walk on a treadmill until we maximize your symptoms.

CECS can be treated with correcting running mechanics, wearing custom orthotics, correcting muscle imbalance and sometimes surgery is necessary.  All treatment options will be discussed at the time of testing.