S: Shin Splints

[nickel]

have you ever experienced shin splints when you were running?
last night i had them about the worst i have ever had them. i slowed down and tried to walk through them, and eventually they eased up.

i am not one to stretch out before i excercise, b/c i have heard it doesn't really prevent injuries like you'd think, but i am wondering now if i should.

if you've ever had shin splints what did you do to end them and prevent them in the future?

[Merlin]

I get them pretty easy and have found that rest is really the only way to make them go away. As for stretching...it doesn't do much for shin splints as that is the result of impact. But that said stretching is a pretty darn good idea to do before running.

[gear02]

stop running, sit on your ass, and watch tv and play video games...

it stops the shin splints...but I don't think it's that healthy for you :D

[topane]

Run further back in your stride - you may be leaning too far forward or your hips may be too close to the front of your stride.

[nickel]

Run further back in your stride - you may be leaning too far forward or your hips may be too close to the front of your stride.
i have tried to consciously do this b/c i see ppl running "forward", but m'be last night i failed at it.

kinda scared a bit to go out tonight again for a run b/c those were damn painful, but i will anyway and hope for the best.

[Maarchk]

I would offer that you try to stick with softer surfaces for less impact. Grass is best, and then black top, and then sidewalk is worst cause it has no give. Also, you can tape up which is wrapping your ankles and your lower calves up cause it lessens the impact to your shins and moves it further up your body... Also, easing back on running and then doing it again is the only decent cure. Have you just started running recently? I got them when i started running after a year long injury lay off. But i started to take it easy like walk one day run the next and then eventually i could run everyday. If it continues and gets worse, you probably wanna see a doc cause you could be starting some stress fractures, and those are the worst.

[ialsohaveadream]

1. Check your running shoes to make sure they haven't logged too many miles. Also, cushioned running shoes provide the best support for your feet, and reduce your chances of getting shin splints

2. There is a great exercise you can do that should help if you do it consistently. Lay down and hold one end of a towel in each hand, with one foot in the middle. The towel should be near the top of your foot, just below your toes. Push your foot forward while providing some resistance with the towel. Then pull your foot up towards you slowly, again using the towel to help you stretch it further. You should feel a nice burn in your shins if you're doing it right.

3. Stretch your shins/calves before and after running. Find a pole/building/other solid surface. Put your foot on the ground at a 45-60 degree angle so that it touches the pole/wall. Lean your body towards the wall. Again, you should be able to feel if if you're doing it right. For calves, just do calf raises (if you need those explained, lemme know).

4. If you're running on a set track/path, run in the opposite direction that you usually go.

5. Ice them twice a night for no more than 15 mins at a time.

6. Run on softer surfaces- grass, mulch, rubberized track.

Yes, I'm a track coach. :)

[febstars19]

Consider the elliptical machines - less impact on your back and shins (I think)! But I actually like the track/treadmill more so maybe alternating would be good.

But otherwise, listen to the track coach! :)
Good luck with recovering!!

[ray]

have you ever experienced shin splints when you were running?
last night i had them about the worst i have ever had them. i slowed down and tried to walk through them, and eventually they eased up.

i am not one to stretch out before i excercise, b/c i have heard it doesn't really prevent injuries like you'd think, but i am wondering now if i should.

if you've ever had shin splints what did you do to end them and prevent them in the future?

There is no cure for shin splints. The best recommendation most sports doctors will give you is to strengthen the muscles in your lower leg, especially calf muscles.

I have been suffering from shin splints for about 7 years now and have seen multiple sports doctors in multiple cities. They all say the same thing to me. Work on the calf muscles, but better yet, stop engaging in activities that require you to be on your feet all day.

That's obviously not the answer I wanted to hear since I do enjoy playing football and basketball, but my shin splints have pained me for so long and through my constant desire to "play through" the pain, doctors tell me that I have probably already fractured both legs to some extent. I haven't gone to have MRIs taken on both my legs, but the shin splints have never gotten better for me in 7 years, even after an intensive workout regime when I was first diagnosed with them.

My shin splints flare up to the point where I haven't been able to stand before...and that was only after 15 minutes of running up and down the basketball court.

[nickel]

1. Check your running shoes to make sure they haven't logged too many miles. Also, cushioned running shoes provide the best support for your feet, and reduce your chances of getting shin splints

2. There is a great exercise you can do that should help if you do it consistently. Lay down and hold one end of a towel in each hand, with one foot in the middle. The towel should be near the top of your foot, just below your toes. Push your foot forward while providing some resistance with the towel. Then pull your foot up towards you slowly, again using the towel to help you stretch it further. You should feel a nice burn in your shins if you're doing it right.

3. Stretch your shins/calves before and after running. Find a pole/building/other solid surface. Put your foot on the ground at a 45-60 degree angle so that it touches the pole/wall. Lean your body towards the wall. Again, you should be able to feel if if you're doing it right. For calves, just do calf raises (if you need those explained, lemme know).

4. If you're running on a set track/path, run in the opposite direction that you usually go.

5. Ice them twice a night for no more than 15 mins at a time.

6. Run on softer surfaces- grass, mulch, rubberized track.

Yes, I'm a track coach. :)
AWESOME, thanks!

i do need some new kicks. got some coming thanks to the EastBay deal.
i am an on road runner, and never take a different route really. i will try to start out at my finish tonight. i should go to school and run on the track, but then i'd hafta get in the car, and i can run the road quicker.

great advice, all of it, i appreciate it.

[ialsohaveadream]

Consider the elliptical machines - less impact on your back and shins (I think)!


That's another good point. If you're just intent on exercising, not necessarily running, pool workouts or elliptical machines let you take away the impact associated with running while still getting a cardio benefit.

Also, use Ray as an example....don't over-stress an injury. Or, as a coach of mine used to say, "You don't try to inflate a tire while it's rolling."

[ShawnLee]

A lot of the shin splints I've had have come after heavy downhill runs. If you have any of that, then you might want to stay on flat land. Nothing medical here, just some anecdotal experience from my friends and me.

[brainsmile]

I get shin splints all the time when I have to go to the bathroom and grab a soda or drink from the kitchen during a commercial break

[nickel]

ok, last night went much better. i felt once like the SS might be coming on, but it went away. i stretched out prior, i ran a different route, i stood more upright, i ran on the grass more.....still need the new sneaks to GET HERE tho.

[Jeffbx]

All good advice from everyone - I'll throw in a couple as well.

Along with the new shoes, padded socks can help as well if you're running on concrete. I run outside most of the time, and the shoes I buy make a huge difference. After going through all the major mfrs, I found that Asics are the only ones that don't give me blisters or knee/ankle problems. So swap shoe brands if the pain continues - it may take a while to find the perfect pair.

Also, an exercise that's helped me in the past w/shin splints - sit on a chair & toss a towel down by your feet. Using only your toes (heel stays put), pull the towel towards you by bunching it between your toes. Do it for 5 mins on each foot. Dunno what it does, but it helped me out (along with stretching before & after).

[ialsohaveadream]

Also, an exercise that's helped me in the past w/shin splints - sit on a chair & toss a towel down by your feet. Using only your toes (heel stays put), pull the towel towards you by bunching it between your toes. Do it for 5 mins on each foot. Dunno what it does, but it helped me out (along with stretching before & after).

REPOST! ;)

2. There is a great exercise you can do that should help if you do it consistently. Lay down and hold one end of a towel in each hand, with one foot in the middle. The towel should be near the top of your foot, just below your toes. Push your foot forward while providing some resistance with the towel. Then pull your foot up towards you slowly, again using the towel to help you stretch it further. You should feel a nice burn in your shins if you're doing it right.

[Jeffbx]

REPOST! ;)

2. There is a great exercise you can do that should help if you do it consistently. Lay down and hold one end of a towel in each hand, with one foot in the middle. The towel should be near the top of your foot, just below your toes. Push your foot forward while providing some resistance with the towel. Then pull your foot up towards you slowly, again using the towel to help you stretch it further. You should feel a nice burn in your shins if you're doing it right.

Close, but no cigar! Read mine again.... (but yours is what reminded me of that one!)

[nickel]

new running shoes helped, plus i am doing the stretching excercises and running more upright. the pain has lessened every night and now it is almost completely gone.

[Fas-ligand]

These exercises have helped me when shin splints and is a variation of the towel method.

It's best to have someone help you. Do the following:

1. push away with your toes
2. pull your toes towards you
3. point toes towards eachother from an away position
4. point toes away from eachother from a position of being together

Use a partner as the resistance. Do these exercises at low resistence or whatever feels good. A few reps of 10 in each direction really helps.

For a really quick preventative warm-up exercise, rotate each foot clockwise and counter-clockwise 5-10 circles to warm up those shins and calves.

Feel the burn.

[guiseppewv]

There is no cure for shin splints. The best recommendation most sports doctors will give you is to strengthen the muscles in your lower leg, especially calf muscles.


Shin splints are not caused by weak calves they are caused by a weak tibia anterior. This is the muscle on top of your shin.

The thing that I noticed in the past that has given me shin splints is not wear the correct shoes for me. I have a slightly fallen arch so I need shoes that have stability control. If I do not have this type of shoe (most running shoes are geared for cushioning not stability control) I end up with an awkward footstrike on the ground which causes me to put unneeded pressure on my tibia anterior.

Here is a quote from a web page about shin splints:


-Mechanical problems with the feet such as "over pronation". Over pronation can be simply described as a condition which causes your arches to flatten out when you stand up. This causes your ankles to roll in towards each other and disturbs your normal walking pattern. If a foot over pronates the structures of the leg are stretched and put under stress, which increases the likelihood of that structure being injured.
-A young novice runner training for long periods on hard roads and in poor physical condition.
-Training on hard surfaces such as concrete.
-Improper shoes, inadequate shock absorption.
-Excessive rotation of the hip.

[zenbooty]

Its good to warm up with a light run (A couple laps around the soccer field, or 5 around the basketball court) before stretching. It warms the muscles up and prevents strains from overstretching, as well as improves your stretches.

[ray]

Shin splints are not caused by weak calves they are caused by a weak tibia anterior. This is the muscle on top of your shin.


I never said shin splints are caused by weak calves. But any sports doctor you speak to will recommend the same physical strengthening exercise: Workout the muscles surrounding the lower part of your leg...and the majority of lower-leg strengthening exercises involve your calf muscles. (ie: calf raises)

[Mike_N_Ike]

I have been suffering from shin splints for about 7 years now and have seen multiple sports doctors in multiple cities. They all say the same thing to me. Work on the calf muscles, but better yet, stop engaging in activities that require you to be on your feet all day

I went to the student health center at my school and got the same answer, minus the "work on the calf muscles" part. What a jack.

Saw some good tips in this thread though that I look forward to trying out.

[Yossarian]

i get them all the time, nromally about the end of the bball season, or in the summer when i start to intensify my playing time. the best thing for me is to just take a day off, then start again, but a little lighter, less running, and letting other guys play more. after a few days, i'm good to go for a few more months