Am I taking unnecessary risks by continuing to run with this problem?

Since I started running over a year ago I’ve been plagued by shin pain that was just diagnosed as compartment syndrome. That test really sucked! I have been shuffled from doctor to doctor for this last year as they ruled things out.

I kept on running but used pain as my guide. As soon as I started feeling pressure and pain I stopped and waited for it to subside. The result has been that I can run for 5 minutes, take a 2 minute break, run for 3 minutes, take a 2 minute break, then I can run for 1 minute between the 2 minute breaks.

When the pressure test was over the sports medicine doctor advised me that the pressure in my anterior tibialis muscle was 48 and took 3½ minutes to return to normal. From what I understand the pressure should not go above 30 and should return to a resting state within seconds and not minutes.

I’ll be going in for a fasciotomy (where they will cut the muscle sheath) but that won’t happen for 5 months. I told the doctor that I’m going to continue running but very gently so I don’t trigger the crippling pain. He advised me to not run but if I was going to anyway to watch out for the symptoms of acute compartment syndrome and get myself to an emergency room.

My husband had a fit and half when I told him I was going to keep on running. My point is that I have been running for a year now and I have altered my running to a point where I don’t trigger the pain. The running has cut down my stress enormously, lowered my blood pressure, eliminated the symptoms of Reynaud’s phenomena (that I’ve had for years). I don’t want any of this to come back for 5 months while I wait for surgery.

And no, there isn’t anything else I can do that will do the same things for me.

Am I taking undue risks?