Shin Splint

ReenieHJ

Just popped in to ask a quick question. I've been trying to increase my walking, hiking, etc. Well, evidently it's not a good thing to walk down hills on pavement, followed by walking on gravel paths. Plus then not listen to your body.

I have an appointment to see someone tomorrow, just to make sure I have shin splints and not something else. It is extremely painful when I get up and for the first few hours of the day, to the point where I can't put any weight on my leg. I get to hobbling around a bit better throughout the day but still have to be careful.

I'm doing R.I.C.E. but is there anything else I can do and how long does something like this take to get better? I started taking Extra strength Tylenol then switched to Aleve today.

I feel like such a wuss. Thanks all.

ninerbuff

Put your heels on the edge of a step, then point your toes down as low as you can go. Will hurt like hell at first, but stretching them out (along with dorsiflexion) will help to circulate blood through them to help healing.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

girlwithcurls2

That sounds awful Is it your shins or your feet? When my plantar fasciitis acts up, it's usually because of too long a walk on concrete. God forbid I walk on gravel. Those two are absolute foot crushers for me. Hopefully it's just shin splints. I think doing RICE is probably your best idea for now. And remember to listen to what your body tells you! I have to remind myself, even when mine is only "whispering" to me (or rather especially when it's a whisper). Good luck!

francisolorunfunmi

I tried everything: compressors, rock tape etc

Best thing was weightlifting as it strengthens bones. Haven’t had the issue since

kshama2001

I developed shin splints while at Boot Camp That was many decades ago and I still prefer dirt trails to pavement.

Also, I wear good shoes 99% of the time - not just while walking. Someone has to be buying me dinner to get me out of my Asics Gels

I developed plantar fasciitis last year and the Powerstep Pinnacle Arch Support Insoles inserts helped with that:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BVHS1Q/

(I also got Dr. Scholl's and they are not nearly as good so they are in my slippers.)

ReenieHJ

Thank you all for your wise input!
Our bodies are so unpredictable and weird sometimes. Whatever was going on with my leg must've been aggravated by my walking on a stony path on Sunday. It was trying to make me pay attention before that but I wasn't listening. Sometimes I forget my age. Monday-yesterday morning, which was Thursday, I could hardly put any weight on it without it throbbing and feeling like my leg was going to give out. I totally babied it. Made an appt. for yesterday morning and as luck would have it, it was feeling a lot better before I would've gone so I was feeling rather silly about wasting their time. But then I got a voicemail from them saying my appt. would have to be rescheduled due to my provider being diagnosed with Covid so I ended up not going and my leg is almost 95% better. IDK what was going on but it was definitely a lesson to learn.

Will be shopping soon for better supporting walking shoes, and know my limits.

I realize how much I was taking my good health for granted before.

ReenieHJ

@kshama2001 I definitely need to find some better shoes. I bought a pair of Sketchers, mainly because they were comfortable and fit my big feet. But paying only 50 bucks, I'm not sure how good they actually are. Trouble is I have an awfully hard time finding shoes that fit and hesitate shopping online. I'll have to check out Asics Gels.

cmriverside

If it was a shin splint, I don't think it would have healed that quickly? I dunno. I do a lot of old-lady walking on hills and a mix of asphalt and dirt trails so I get small injuries probably once every couple years. It's usually knees, hips, or my back, for me.

Try going to Bob & Brad (Physical Therapists) on YouTube when you have issues like this. They have an exercise/therapy video for every injury I've ever had. I don't know how I survived without them!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Shin splints are a common and mysterious problem. In the worst case, they become chronic and can sideline you for a long time (months). If this is the first time you've had shin soreness, it is best to let the pain go away completely before doing a long walk again. (Take up swimming. Try stationary bike.) Go to a PT and get some advice. You can try different shoes, but all modern walking and running shoes are pretty darned good these days. "RICE" works!

Hopefully, if you ramp up slowly, it won't get too bad. Best of luck!

ReenieHJ

cmriverside wrote: »

If it was a shin splint, I don't think it would have healed that quickly? I dunno. I do a lot of old-lady walking on hills and a mix of asphalt and dirt trails so I get small injuries probably once every couple years. It's usually knees, hips, or my back, for me.

Try going to Bob & Brad (Physical Therapists) on YouTube when you have issues like this. They have an exercise/therapy video for every injury I've ever had. I don't know how I survived without them!

Yeh, that's what I was wondering as well. Online it said shin splints can take 2-3 months to heal so IDK. Thanks for the video suggestion, I'll pass this on to my sister as well, because she has a lot of issues with her back and hip.

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

Shin splints are a common and mysterious problem. In the worst case, they become chronic and can sideline you for a long time (months). If this is the first time you've had shin soreness, it is best to let the pain go away completely before doing a long walk again. (Take up swimming. Try stationary bike.) Go to a PT and get some advice. You can try different shoes, but all modern walking and running shoes are pretty darned good these days. "RICE" works!

Hopefully, if you ramp up slowly, it won't get too bad. Best of luck!

Thank you, I took the pain as a serious warning to be more mindful of what I was doing. Soreness and pain I can deal with but feeling like my leg was going to give out if I stepped on it, was a bit scarier. And to have it basically disappear leaves me baffled. Oh well, lesson learned.

Thanks again everyone

DaffyGirl88

@ReenieHJ I got a pair of Asics Gel Excite and a pair of Vionics Vortex from Amazon, both around $50, and they have been Godsends!!! I still can't wear slippers around the house or dress shoes to work but when in either of these shoes my feet feel fantastic!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0966H25RQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MZ1NXHY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

kshama2001

ReenieHJ wrote: »

@kshama2001 I definitely need to find some better shoes. I bought a pair of Sketchers, mainly because they were comfortable and fit my big feet. But paying only 50 bucks, I'm not sure how good they actually are. Trouble is I have an awfully hard time finding shoes that fit and hesitate shopping online. I'll have to check out Asics Gels.

I wear 10.5 W or 11 and cannot find that in most stores so I buy a lot of shoes online. I started when my manager told me about Zappos' excellent return policy. Amazon has since bought Zappos and shoes tend to be a little cheaper on Amazon, so I am buying there these days.

Whenever Asics discontinues whatever model I'd been wearing, I ask them what comparable models are, and buy several models from Amazon and return the least favorites.

I've just about worn out my good pair now from intensive yardwork, so I'll be shoe shopping soon, perhaps as soon as I hit the Reply button

ETA: checked both Amazon and Zappos and bought these for $89:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RXVXSK2/

I was just thinking this AM I needed to get new shoes so thanks for the prompt

ninerbuff

ReenieHJ wrote: »

@kshama2001 I definitely need to find some better shoes. I bought a pair of Sketchers, mainly because they were comfortable and fit my big feet. But paying only 50 bucks, I'm not sure how good they actually are. Trouble is I have an awfully hard time finding shoes that fit and hesitate shopping online. I'll have to check out Asics Gels.

I got the Sketchers walking shoes (since I walk on concrete in the gym 4 hours at a time) and it's really relieved the issues with my plantar faciitis.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ReenieHJ

A little update to this *thing* I had going on with my lower leg.....it went away and never came back but I've been extra careful ever since because it was truly a painful thing going on. But I am bewildered why it did go away so quickly? Then we did a video chat with my kids and when they found out about it, they all pushed me to go see a doctor anyways because they insisted it could be a circulatory issue. For myself, I'm usually the 'wait and see' type but for everyone else in my family, I'd probably be pushing as well. I did compare all the symptoms that I found online(ya know blood clot vs. shin splint, etc, eek online doctoring!) and still didn't come up with anything. All I know is it's fine now.
Any thoughts? Thanks!

Still looking into different shoes.......

AnnPT77

Honestly, when active - and especially when starting some new thing, or upping frequency/duration/intensity - sometimes uncomfortable things happen, IME. Some of them go away pretty fast, and a few (once you figure them out) can be forced to go away fast by taking particular appropriate actions. I get why your children would worry, but I don't think you're behaving unreasonably. If it recurs, see your doctor.

IIRC, you did the RICE things? The reason those are recommend for a lot of things is that they actually work for a lot of things. 😉

Over the 20+ years I've been active (staring from nearly zero in my mid-40s), there have been physical problems that persisted for a while but went away as I got fitter (like some arm tendinitis); some things that recur periodically for which I've learned remedial exercises that are pretty quickly effective (most recently, a weird crampy discomfort in an inner-thigh muscle); and some things I know will happen if I slack off on certain preventatives (like self-massage for substantial left chest/underarm scar tissue from modified radical mastectomy followed by radiation, that causes shoulder pain and increases jaw clenching at night). I could belabor more examples, but that would be whining. You get what I'm saying here.

Don't take any chances, but sometimes things just happen, and go away, IME.

ReenieHJ

Thanks @AnnPT77 Yesterday I was busy all day, mowing the lawn as well. This morning when I woke up, I could feel twinges again and thought dang it, what'd I do? I mowed. We have hills that are a bit challenging. So in finding my limits, I'm learning as I go along. At least until it's 100%.