Middle distance runner with long term calf injury

Ive had this calf injury for about 3 years now and ive seen a lot of specialists and spent of lot of time trying to get to the bottom of this problem, but with little success, so i was wondering if anyone could help!

It all started when i was about 16/17 years old and i was running around 40 miles a week including a lot of hill running. I realise this was a lot of running for someone of my age but I really wanted to make it in running so I was prepared to put the effort in.

After the first track race of the season i woke up the next day with calf pains, so i thought i’d strained my calf and rested. this problem continued after every race and track session. I went to see a specialist and he fitted me with some orthotics as i low legs were quite bowed, i had very high arches in my feet and as a result of this a over pronated. I struggled to ajust to these orthotics as they were quite hard and uncomfortable and i got very sore feet and lower legs from waring them, so after 8 months i stopped waring them. Since them i have had muscles scans, nerve conduction tests and injections on my calfs but the results from these tests all showed that there were was not muscular damage.

I recently went to the british medical center and was fitted with some new orthotics, and i feel much more comfortable with these ones as they are softer. These have improved my calf condidtion but it has not fully gone can only run a few miles before i start to get problems.

All the specialists me and my coach feel that this is a biomechanical problem and i need orthotics to compensate for my over pronation. But i feel that i may have lateral compartment syndrom. My calfs feel very tight wen i run and the pressure gradually builts up until it becomes uncomfortable. The pressure builds up even more if I run up hills. Problems get worse on hard surfaces and as running speed increases.

Although i feel it could be compartment syndrom, this calf pain is still there when i wake up the next morning – it feels as if my calfs have cramped up over night – which suggests that it mite not be compartment syndrom. Sometimes my calfs will be fine during a short easy run but will be painful the next day, the most servere pain that i get will take 1-2 weeks to fully go. If i apply pressure on my calfs they feel slightly tender. I tried resting some 6 months but this problem did not go away. I always make sure i do a good warm up and cool down and do regular flexibilty work but my calfs get very tight at times.

I would be very greatful if anyone could give me any advice or express there opinion of what the problem is. Theres a lot of info there some of it may be relevant, some of it may not and thats what im trying to establish!

Thanks very much,

Turls