Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome (CECS)

Hey everyone. I've encountered a roadblock in my prep and could use some advice. Every time I run Z2/Z3 for 30 mins, my Tibialis Anterior and Soleus in both legs flare up and my toes go numb making it difficult to continue running. Additionally, under a 45lb dry ruck, this occurs in the first 5-10 minutes. I gave my local SFRE a shot and this caused me to get picked up during my ruck. For reference, my 2 mile is 13:20 and my 5 mile is 36:15.

I consulted a doctor and it turns out I have CECS. Having already tried physical therapy and gait retraining, he believes that my best option is to undergo a fasciotomy, which is daunting because success rates can vary substantially. This study concluded that 41% of its subjects returned to full military duty upon having a successful procedure: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25049368/

Hypothetically speaking, if I were to successfully go through this procedure and my rucking numbers get to where they need to be, what would be the likelihood of me failing the SF physical?

Has anyone else dealt with this in their prep or at selection?

Thank you for your time.

Posted Apr 9, 2026, 9:19 PM UTC

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