You start moving.
A walk, a run, a training session. You want to do something you enjoy or need to do.
Help with recurring lower-leg pain
When your legs keep
making you stop.
You head out for a run, start a training session or take to the trail. Then lower-leg pain or tightness gets in the way. If that experience keeps returning, start here.
CECS is one possible cause. An assessment also considers other explanations.
Inside the lower leg
The four calf compartments.
Whatever activity matters to you, the interruption matters too.
Meet the clinician
Care led by Professor Paul Lee.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon with an interest in sports and soft-tissue surgery. An assessment starts with your account of what keeps happening.
Your experience comes first
Does this sound familiar?
It may be the same activity, a similar point in a session, or a pattern that has changed over time. Your own details matter.
Symptoms get in the way.
Pain, pressure or tightness builds. Some people also notice tingling, numbness or weakness.
You stop or adapt.
Rest may help. Then another session may bring the symptoms back, leaving you with questions.
You do not have to start from scratch
Where are you in the story?
Choose the information that is most useful to you now.
I’m still looking for an explanation.
Understand what an assessment considers, how other causes are explored, and when a test might help.
Understand assessmentI’ve been told I have CECS.
Make sense of the treatment choices, their limits, and the questions to ask about recovery and your activity.
Explore your optionsA conversation with a purpose
Your symptoms deserve an explanation.
Especially when you have had to stop doing something you value, or previous tests have left questions.
What happens in an assessmentWhat a useful assessment should offer
Your account comes first.
Describe what you do, where symptoms start, what makes you stop, and what changes at rest. The questionnaire can help you organise that story.
Other causes are considered.
Similar lower-leg symptoms can have different explanations. History and examination help guide what to investigate.
Every test has a purpose.
The team explains the purpose of each investigation and how the findings inform your plan.
You understand the choices.
Compare the treatment options with the clinical team and build a plan around your diagnosis and activity goals.
Make the pattern easier to explain
What happens when you move.
What happens when you stop.
Your account guides the clinic pathway: MRI with contrast of both calves, blood tests close to the scan, then consultation and compartment pressure testing with Professor Lee at the same booked visit. The forthcoming free ExtPress™ app will help you record exercise, symptom onset and measurements; ordinary notes are useful now.
One possible symptom pattern Symptoms
A goal that belongs to you
The activity that matters to you.
Your goal might be an everyday walk, recreational sport, training with friends, or time outdoors. Say what you want to take part in — and what symptoms are getting in the way.
- Walking with family
- Joining the next game
- Keeping up your usual routine
- Enjoying a run
It is okay to have questions
A few answers
before you start.
Does this pattern mean I have CECS?
No. CECS is one possible explanation. Bone stress injuries, shin splints, nerve and circulation problems can produce similar symptoms. Your history and an examination help a clinician decide what to consider next.
What if I have already had tests?
Bring the reports and details of what was measured, including the timing of any pressure test. A clinician can consider these alongside your current symptoms and explain whether further investigation could help.
What is ExtPress™, and do I need it before booking?
ExtPress™ is a free app currently in development. Its planned diary, per-leg measurements and reviewed clinical records will support the clinic pathway. You can arrange MRI, blood tests, consultation and compartment pressure testing directly without using the app.
How do I arrange an assessment?
Start with a free call with the MSK admin team. They can discuss arranging a clinical assessment, available locations and fees. This practical team call is not a medical consultation.
Clinical background: NHS compartment syndrome guidance and the 2022 CECS clinical consensus.
Start where you are
Your next step, with the clinical team.
Prepare your symptom history for Professor Lee’s clinical team, or speak with the admin team about arranging a CECS consultation.