Lower leg pain

The lower leg is located between the knee and the ankle. It consists of 2 bones: the shinbone (tibia) and the calf bone (fibula). In addition, the lower leg has 12 muscles that provide movement and stability in the adjacent joints. Lower leg pain can arise acutely or develop gradually.

Anatomy & injuries of the lower leg

The shinbone lies at the front of the lower leg. At the top, the bone is wide and flattened, forming a plateau. This plateau is called the tibial plateau and is part of the knee joint. 

The calf bone is on the outside relative to the shinbone. The fibula and tibia are connected by connective tissue (the syndesmosis). At the bottom of the lower leg, the shinbone and the calf bone together form the upper part of the ankle joint.

Muscles and compartments
The lower leg muscles can be divided into three groups according to location: a group at the front, at the outside, and at the back. The three muscle groups are separated by connective tissue partitions into compartments. The muscle group at the back is further divided by connective tissue into 2 groups: superficial and deeper muscles. This ultimately creates four compartments.

Injuries
Due to overuse of the lower leg muscles, the muscles can swell, which increases pressure within a compartment and can result in pain. This can occur both acutely and chronically. This is also called the compartment syndrome. 

Another overuse injury of the lower leg is medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), also known as shin splints. This injury is located at the front of the lower leg along the inner edge of the shinbone.

In addition, lower leg pain can also occur acutely, in the most extreme case with a fracture of the shinbone or calf bone. But an acute muscle tear, such as a calf strain, can also lead to troublesome pain symptoms.

Check your lower leg pain

To get an idea of the origin of your lower leg pain, we advise you to take the online physical therapy check. First indicate where the pain in your lower leg is located. You can then answer a number of questions about your symptoms, after which we compare your symptoms with the most common conditions within physical therapy.

The result shows the condition or injury you may be dealing with. For professional help, you can make an appointment at a physical therapy practice near you.

Injuries and conditions of the lower leg

Lower leg pain can have different causes. Below you will find an overview of the most common conditions and injuries that cause pain in the lower leg.