The thing that they say in that article that isn't quite accurate is that compartment syndrome is caused by overuse. Actually, your muscles develop (from training) until they are bigger than they were, and when they swell more with the increased blood supply during exercise, they are then too big for their sheaths.

Also- my course of events is unusual- (but I've talked at length before/during diagnosis with Tim Noakes, who is one of the leading authorities world-wide on exertional compartment syndrome- he's in South Africa) I get the pain/symptoms about 10 minutes into the run, not matter if I walk first, warm up, massage, start slowly, start fast, run on pavement, run on trail, run every day, take off for months, ride a bike first- no matter what, it starts. Then, (this is the very unusual part) after I run/walk/stretch/cry for about 30-40 minutes, the pain/burning fades quickly, and I can continue to run for as many minutes or hours as I want, pain free, until the next day. When I stop running, I am rarely sore from it, and then minimally, if at all. But when it is going on, it is a VERY severe burning.

It was quite hard to figure out what it was- (I read about it in Tim Noakes' book "The Lore Of Running-" highly recommended, and then get a referral to an ortho surgeon. Me-to PNP at employee health- "I just figured out I have compartment syndrome and I need a referral to ortho." Him "You can't have that, do you even know what it is, it is so rare, that's impossible." I won't leave until I get a referral and he gives up. Me to DO "I just figured out I have compartment syndrome and I want surgery." DO "Well, that sounds like it exactly, let's get you tested." Ortho residents who do the testing "Well, it's very rare, a normal ortho surgeon sees about one case in a lifetime, and here at the big university hospital specializing in sports medicine, we see about four cases a year, but we'll test you anyway and see." And later "You have the most severe case we've ever seen, your pressures are way over the top!!!!!" Ortho surgeon "Yeah, I'm the best, just let me know if you want to do both legs at once or one."