The short answer
Chronic exertional compartment syndrome causes pain, numbness, and even foot drop in runners, often in both legs, when pressure builds in the muscle compartment during exercise. When conservative care fails, a modern ultrasound-guided fascial release offers a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery.
Written by Marc Gruner, DO, MBA, RMSK
Sports medicine physician, Mayo Clinic fellowship
Chronic exertional syndrome is one of the most common causes of pain, numbness, and foot drop of patients who are regular runners. It is common for this condition to occur in both legs.
Incision scars made by traditional surgery. Modern treatment options eliminate the need for invasive surgery.We now have a new treatment option where we can release the fascia which in turn improves the pressure in the leg compartments. This procedure can be an option for patients who fail conservative treatments. Instead of having a large incision in the leg (as shown in the photo), we can now release the front compartments under ultrasound with a small instrument.
This diagram shows the inside cross section of the leg. The top layer is the fascia and below the structure is the muscle. We can release this fascia under ultrasound avoiding nerves and arteries.
Tags: exertional syndrome, non-invasive treatment, leg, compartment syndrome, numbness, ultrasound, fascial release, feet, runner, foot drop, shin splints.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a qualified clinician about your specific condition.