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Compartment syndrome is a disease that occurs when there is a lot of pressure inside a compartment of a muscle, causing it to swell and causing blood not to circulate to some places, resulting in injuries to the muscles and nerves. When blood cannot reach certain muscle sites, it can prevent oxygen from reaching the tissues, which can cause cell death.
This syndrome can occur in the lower or upper limbs and cause symptoms such as a numb, swollen, pale and cold touch and the treatment depends on the severity of the injury, but in most cases, surgery is required.
Causes of compartment syndrome
Compartment syndrome can happen as a result of bleeding or swelling of a compartment of the muscle, which can cause pressure that builds up inside that compartment, causing changes in blood flow. In addition, according to the cause, compartment syndrome can be classified into:
1. Acute compartment syndrome
This type of syndrome usually occurs due to an injury, such as a fracture, crushing of a limb, wearing a bandage or other tight object, drinking alcohol or taking drugs excessively.
Main symptoms: The most common symptom in these cases is severe pain that does not improve even when lifting the injured limb or taking medication, and it gets worse when you stretch or use the limb. In addition, there may also be a feeling of tightness in the muscle or a tingling or burning sensation in the skin around the affected area and, in more severe cases, numbness or paralysis of the limb may occur.
It is important that the acute compartment syndrome is identified quickly so that treatment can be started soon after, often requiring amputation of the affected limb.
2. Chronic compartment syndrome
Although the reason is still unclear, chronic compartment syndrome can occur due to the practice of exercise with repeated movements, such as swimming, tennis or running, for example.
Main symptoms: In these cases, you may feel severe pain during exercise, which lasts about 30 minutes after completing the exercise. Other symptoms that may occur are difficulty in moving the injured limb, numbness in the limb or a bulge in the affected muscle.
How the treatment is done
In the case of acute compartment syndrome, surgery is usually required and the procedure involves cutting the muscle to reduce pressure in the compartment. In some cases it may be necessary to leave the area open until the swelling is reduced or even a skin graft is performed. In very severe cases or if treatment is performed too late, it may be necessary to amputate the limb.
In cases of chronic compartment syndrome, before opting for surgery, the doctor may recommend physical therapy to stretch the muscle, anti-inflammatory drugs, changing the type of exercise or performing the exercise with less impact, applying ice on the spot after physical activity. If none of these methods work, surgery may be necessary.
Created by: Tua Saúde Editorial Team