Shin/Knee Pain Question - Looking for advice

amo13

10 weeks ago I started the Couch to 5K Program - at the beginning I experienced some discomfort in my shins. After moving further along in the program and also getting new shoes [upon reaching my goal], I found the pain to go away. Since I have completed the program, I'm working on improving my runs [I am signed up for a 5K per month for June - October].

Well, last week I must have pulled something while challenging myself to run a different route [up a hill]. After my run, I had some very uncomfortable pain around the shin area. So, I took 3 days off from running [and walked instead]. Feeling ready to try again, I ran twice this week. On Tuesday I experienced a lot of pain, and I ended up walking. Later that night, on top of the pain I already experienced I had shoots of pain up through my knee. So I rested on Wednesday and ran yesterday afternoon. Yesterday was MUCH better, but still had some pain, so upon the advice from my MIL I took ibuprofen and iced my leg. I really think that helped.

I'm nervous because I have my *first* 5K on June 25th and I don't want this pain to hold me back. I am afraid to take off too much time from running because I worked so hard to build up to what I have accomplished so far. I was planning to run tomorrow, but I'm wondering if I should take the weekend off instead and start over on Monday. I'm looking for any advice or suggestions on how to move forward with this.

dancingnancies

take the weekend off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if you don't you are going to hurt yourself even more. a couple of days won't hurt your endurance or all of your hard work. it is better to be on the safe side.

goodluck on your race!!!!

tafaye

I have had 2 knee surgeries and many injuries do to pushing to hard to fast. The only thing you can do is give it time to heal. Take the ibuprofen daily, it helps with internal swelling and icing even on rest days. If you think you can run on a day go for it, but until the pain goes away I would give at least 48 hours worth of recovery between runs. The days you don't run do something else like riding a bike, great for recovery of knees and shins, or yoga.

jonikeffer

Sounds like shin splints, particularly if going uphill caused the problem. The best thing you can do (and it always sounds so silly, I know) is ice. Ice ice ice and more ice, 15-20 mins every couple of hours if you can manage it. The rule of thumb is to continue this ice protocol for a week after you have no more pain.

If you have access to one, you can try using an elliptical machine instead of running while you recover. If you add resistance, it will keep you in cardiovascular shape so you don't lose ground from your training. All machine are different so it's hard to tell you exactly how much resistance, but on a modern Precor machine you might try something around a 10.

Abells

it seems that you are having shin splints -- i get them all the time. Try putting orthodics such as arch supports in your shoes -- this has helped me immensely.

Also keep icing your shins. fill those little bathroom dixies cups with water and but them in the freezer. Peel them to where the ice starts and rub them in circles on your shins.

Also, to avoid not running, go to the gym and do the elliptical. This will keep your cardio up and take the pain off ur knees and shins

ltf304

My suggestion is to take a week off and the slowly try to start running again. If it still hurts, then go to the doctor. I had pain in my shin from running and it was persistent and wouldn't heal. I went to the Dr. and it was a stress fracture. This can turn into a complete fracture. Listen to your body....it is trying to tell you something.

jeffrodgers1

Sounds kind of like shin splints... Shin splints are an overuse injury. Your body is basically saying, I'm not use to this, slow down. Common causes of shin splints include Overtraining\Overusage, Mechanical defect in your running, or Worn out\Poorly fitted shoes.

Let's start with the easiest... How many miles are on your shoes? If you think about it, those shoes are ground into the pavement over 1000 times a mile. Each time your foot hits the pavement, the impact is several times your body weight per square inch (I have heard between 7x and 12x body weight) This causes the cushioning and support to break down over time and eventually the shoe is no longer supporting your foot. Rule of thumb is new shoes every 300 miles.

Overtraining\Overusage is a BIG issue for many people. Basically too much, too soon. If you are like me, you went from not running for 15-20 years to churning out some big mileage. My body wasn't really ready for me to do this. Rule of thumb for training is to never exceed the previous weeks mileage by more than 10%. If you do 10 miles this week, you should only do 11 miles next week. It is also important to listen to your body and back off at the first sign of trouble.

Mechanical defect is a hard one to define. People are all different. At a base level, everyone is either a pronator, suppinator, or has a neutral profile. This is in reference to the way which our feet strike and push off the ground. It is a question of having the correct footware for your feet. In some cases people require Orthotics or special shoes to compensate. If new shoes do not correct the problem, and cutting back training doesn't help, a gait assessment would help identify the cause of the mechanical problem. A gait assessment would likely come from a physiotherapist or pediatrist.

As for treatment, RICE -> Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation... basically stay off it for a couple of days to allow the condition to improve. Don't try to run thru it. You can make the issue much more severe and end up with stress fractures or compartment syndrome.

Deep tissue massage will help. Dig your thumbs into the affected area and massage it around. This helps break up any knotting and improves blood flow thru the area. You'll know your doing it right when it hurts. You can also use a frozen dixie cup full of water to massage the area (4 x per day)

When you are feeling better, warm up gently (light jog/walking) for 5 minutes. Do a little Dynamic stretching and then run.

When you are finished your workout, Static stretching is important to ensure that the muscles don't tighten up.

Ice after a workout and massage will help as well.

Hope that helps.

gp79

In my opinion, shin-splints are something that some, but not all runners experience, particularly if you're just starting out running (first year maybe?)

I have read a few articles talking about changing your running form from a heel strike to more of a mid-foot / forefoot strike may help as it relieves some of the stress on certain parts of your leg, shifting it to other areas where your body is better suited to deal with it. If you're planning on using running as a main form of exercise, it's worth your time to educate yourself about some of the different running forms.

Remember shin splints are tiny tiny fractures which if not allowed to heal can turn into bigger problems. If you're new to running, and you're experiencing shin pain, it's best to rest and see a doc or specialist.

bugnbeansmom

Shin splints for sure and those can cause hair line fractures. Definately rest and ice. The inserts are a great suggestion. Also, try walking backwards on your heels for a few minutes each day. It will help to strenghten the muscles around the shin that are splinting and help you feel better faster then help to prevent. I know it sounds CRAZY but I swear it helps. You might also want to use a heating pad for 10 to 5 minutes prior to running for a while to loosen those muscles up a bit. Tight muscles hurt! Good luck on your races!

hopeandj

Take some time off from running but I would ride a bike or the elliptical to keep your cardio up. Ice and stretching, there are lots of stretching exercises you can find on the internet. Also try KT tape. I started to get a pain in my lower leg where I usually get shin splints and I wore that tape for 3 days and I don't have the pain anymore. If the pain is all the time, you might want to get it checked out as it could be a stress fracture. Good luck!

amo13

THANK YOU so much everyone for the suggestions. I'll definitely be giving it a rest this weekend and using your feedback.