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In chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS), physical activity induces pain — usually in the lower leg. The cause is increased pressure in a muscle compartment; why this occurs in some people is unclear. The diagnosis is typically made in relatively young athletes, but CECS also develops occasionally in older adults. Because CECS symptoms overlap with those of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), researchers at a Netherlands referral center compared characteristics of 43 CECS patients (age, ≥50; range, 50–76) and 41 patients with intermittent claudication caused by documented PAD. CECS was confirmed by direct intracompartmental pressure measurements in the lower leg performed when pain was provoked during exercise on a treadmill.
Exercis…