Shin Splints

[FDF12389]

Hey guys,

I've been getting terrible shin splints as I transition from the treadmill back to pavement now that its warmer. I've tried stretching, new shoes, five fingers, compression wraps...

Any other ideas?

 

[HendrixFan]

Try to limit your heel strikes. I've personally found that I get shin splints when I am not careful about landing midfoot during my runs.

 

[ichy]

My shins would hurt when I started running. I just switched to some kind of non-impact cardio when they were hurting and went back to running when they felt fine.

 

[Dallascisco]

Proper form and rest is what helped me get through the same thing

 

[QueBert]

Always had problems on pavement, when I switched to running on asphalt the difference on my shins was night and day. I think now I've been jogging for awhile now I could probably do fine on pavement. But I stick to asphalt.

 

[tedrodai]

Just to throw out anything I can think of:

For shoes, have you tried going to a store that specializes in running shoes (like Fleet Feet, etc.) that will take a video to check if there's obvious over/under pronation while you run? Different running shoes are made to address that to some degree.

In addition to trying stretching, warmup/cooldown, correct type of shoes, and working on your running form, you may need to strengthen your lower leg muscles by (1) easing into your routine and (2) doing some extra exercises (examples on the bottom of this page: http://www.watfxc.com/TF/TF Education/shin_splints.htm). For (1), run slower to reduce the impact and stress on whatever is getting injured, and stop running before your legs get so tired that your running form is negatively affected. As long as you ease into it, you're weakest link will get stronger over time just like with any exercise progression.

Always had problems on pavement, when I switched to running on asphalt the difference on my shins was night and day. I think now I've been jogging for awhile now I could probably do fine on pavement. But I stick to asphalt.

Not sure what you mean here, because asphalt concrete is simply 1 of many types of pavement.

 

[gar655]

It has little to nothing to do with your foot strike. The best way to run is to use your natural stride, which for some is heel strike.

You can try this-
http://gizmodo.com/5902699/banish-shin-splints-forever-with-one-magical-exercise

I found that using bands on the foot and flexing your foot towards the shin or up if standing helps a lot. I also would put weights or dumbbells on the toes and do "foot" lifts.

What you need to do in any case is strengthen the muscles of the shin.

 

[QueBert]

Not sure what you mean here, because asphalt concrete is simply 1 of many types of pavement.

Yes, I was half asleep when I posted that and was thinking concrete DOH

 

[SociallyChallenged]

One of the most common causes of shin splints is poor biomechanics. This can result from poor foot/ankle awareness, weak foot musculature, weak hip musculature, dysfunctional running pattern, etc. If this is a chronic problem when running on harder surfaces, you might want to see a doctor and get a prescription for physical therapy. It's pretty easy to treat. Shoes are only a small part of the picture.

 

[FDF12389]

Thanks for the info guys, here's my game plan.

Continue to do extra stretching and warm ups
No impact cardio on elliptical until next week
Get a professional shoe fitting

If I still have a problem, see my doctor. Sound right?

 

[MrEgo]

Hey guys,

I've been getting terrible shin splints as I transition from the treadmill back to pavement now that its warmer. I've tried stretching, new shoes, five fingers, compression wraps...

Any other ideas?

Are you SURE that it's shin splints and not just tight tabialis anterior muscles? I thought I had shin splints, but that wasn't the problem. I just started stretching the hell out of my tibialis anteriors, and the pain went away.

When I would run, it felt like my shin muscles were cramping up, and it was VERY painful. They would actually swell so much that the circulation in my feet would get cut off every now and then. Stretching cured that.

 

[tedrodai]

Are you SURE that it's shin splints and not just tight tabialis anterior muscles? I thought I had shin splints, but that wasn't the problem. I just started stretching the hell out of my tibialis anteriors, and the pain went away.

When I would run, it felt like my shin muscles were cramping up, and it was VERY painful. They would actually swell so much that the circulation in my feet would get cut off every now and then. Stretching cured that.

...

What you are describing IS shin splints. Shin splints aren't a medical term for a single specific injury...it encompasses several injuries that cause pain in the shin area due to tight/overworked muscles/tendons or stress fractures. That's why people recommend so many possible treatments...because any 1 of them or maybe several together might address the underlying problem.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Are you SURE that it's shin splints and not just tight tabialis anterior muscles? I thought I had shin splints, but that wasn't the problem. I just started stretching the hell out of my tibialis anteriors, and the pain went away.

When I would run, it felt like my shin muscles were cramping up, and it was VERY painful. They would actually swell so much that the circulation in my feet would get cut off every now and then. Stretching cured that.

Tibialis anterior strain is shin splints. In addition, posterior tibialis strain could also be described as shin splints. Stretching isn't always the answer - with a strain, it can actually break the tissue down more and lead to more dysfunction and pain. As I suggested early, shin splints are most commonly a biomechanics issue, which needs to be treated by a movement specialist (i.e. physical therapist) to get long term relief.

 

[Necrolezbeast]

After suffering from shin splints my whole life, cause mainly by constantly playing indoor soccer on a terrible field... I finally met with a physical therapist who recommended that I do reverse calf raises (not sure what they are technically called)... but it is basically positioning your feet flat on the floor and instead of raising the heel, you raise your toes. Since I began doing those, I haven't had any problem with shin splints at all! Either way, the explanation given to me was that my calf muscles are much stronger than the muscles on the shin that hold the tendons together, causing them to tear... solution: strengthen the weak muscle.. I'm no specialist, nor do I know much about body structure; all I know is that since I started doing this it reduced the problem and then eliminated it.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[SociallyChallenged]

After suffering from shin splints my whole life, cause mainly by constantly playing indoor soccer on a terrible field... I finally met with a physical therapist who recommended that I do reverse calf raises (not sure what they are technically called)... but it is basically positioning your feet flat on the floor and instead of raising the heel, you raise your toes. Since I began doing those, I haven't had any problem with shin splints at all! Either way, the explanation given to me was that my calf muscles are much stronger than the muscles on the shin that hold the tendons together, causing them to tear... solution: strengthen the weak muscle.. I'm no specialist, nor do I know much about body structure; all I know is that since I started doing this it reduced the problem and then eliminated it.

Anyway, good luck!

That's a pretty odd explanation and doesn't really have any merit. You'd have to be so tight in your calves to tear your tib anterior that you wouldn't even be able to walk. Granted, the exercises you were given do help recovery, but only if the biomechanics are addressed.

 

[ultraspec]

Alot of what other people on here said helps a lot. Another one I never tried was to take a tennis ball and fill it with water and freeze it and roll it over your shin muscles after they are sore. Ive never done this but I had some fellow soldiers who swore by this method to help.


Def go to fleet feet if you can, they are the best. I had major problems with shin splints and they fitted with me with shoes, its helps a lot to have a proper shoe for your stride, and form that you have. Its just one part of it all though as others said.