Shin Splints

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ErinJ1981
ErinJ1981 Posts: 72
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone know how to avoid them or how to treat them?

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  • Amber030583
    Amber030583 Posts: 490 Member
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    When I would get them bad I would take a bath in epsom salt and just let them soak. Not a solution but an aid.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
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    I just read recently when you get them, sit down and spell out the alphabet with your toes. Doesn't know if it works cause I haven't had to try it.
  • melissa0001
    melissa0001 Posts: 313 Member
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    I got them doing the shred, I got new shoes and started writting the alphabet by turning my ankles after every workout and the shin pain was gone within a week.
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
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    Check this article from Runner's World. Runner or not, I found it helpful as I was having an IT band issue from spinning class. Then I read that cycling actually can make IT band issues worse!


    The Big 7 Body Breakdowns
    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--13841-0,00.html
  • thefreemans28
    thefreemans28 Posts: 267 Member
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    I just stretch mine out by pointing my toes and then rotating my foot in circles. Also, the kind of shoes you have can affect them. And, I've noticed that if I don't drink 8 glasses of water in a day, that day they are worse!

    And, when I was in high school, I had them horribly when playing basketball, and my doctor prescribed me something that relieved them, but I don't know what it was.
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
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    Indoor hard impact will encourage them, wrap legs tightly when exercising, with an ace bandage! It helps. Warm up then stretch them before doing your cardio work.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    Shin splints are caused by having flat feet without proper arch support, or just bad arch support in general. When you foot is able to roll inwards (pronatte), it pulls on the muscles that connect to the shin, and everntually those muscles start to tear off....i.e. shin splints, then stress fractures if not treated. Ice helps the pain, compression helps healing (wrap your sore area tight with an Ace bandage)....but the only way to prevent them is to get the proper shoes. My favorite brands for preventing shin splints are Saucony and New Balance (Saucony being preferred over New Balance). A good store like Marathon Sports or REI will have knowledgable people on staff who can truly fit you properly and measure/evaluate your arches and pronation. The Saucony shoe advisor will help you see what all this means re: pronation and arches: http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/externalstaticpage?content=ShoeAdvisor_saucony&iCID=Header-A-ShoeAdvisor
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    Indoor hard impact will encourage them, wrap legs tightly when exercising, with an ace bandage! It helps. Warm up then stretch them before doing your cardio work.

    Yes hard impact + bad shoes and/or flat feet and/or pronation will make the shin splints appear faster. Case in point. I was wearing Saucony running sneakers all the time, but decided to get cross trainers (flatter shoes) for my current workout plan.....2 weeks in I am getting shin splints and may need to go back to the Saucony's even though they're not good for certain side-to-side motions that I am doing every day.

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