Shin splint-type pain..help!!!

saltyphoenix

When I work out (no matter how...walking, elliptical, floor aerobics, etc.) I have pain in my left lower leg. It feels like shin splint pain but it is on the SIDE of my leg, above my ankle. It happens regardless of what shoes I'm wearing. Anyone have any remedies, strengthening, or stretching recommendations to alleviate this? I feel like it slows me down when working out. THANKS in advance!!!

ProTFitness

Bio Freeze and epsom salt bath soak them

davidrt

yes see a dr something like that isnt something you need to ignore

sportsjunkee70

plenty of ice.... do heal walks... if you know what those are... we have out football players do them because they help stretch/prevent shin splints

saltyphoenix

Thanks, all! I'll try a combo of the recommendations!

tessiebess

Hi SaltyPhoenix,

This happened to me a few weeks ago so I did some major research on shin splints. The pain is caused by little tears in the muscles in your shin where they attach to your tibia (shin bone). The pain will go away once they heal, but you have to actually give them time to do so. You don't have to stop working out completely. You just need to do low impact stuff (i.e. no running or bouncing around). Do not try to work through it! I tried that and ended up making things a lot worse.

Also, your muscles will heal faster if there isn't a lot of inflammation around the site of the damage. I realize this is counter-intuitive since you need blood for the healing process, but it's true. Ice your legs and take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen.

It is a little odd that it's only happening in one leg and in such a localized spot. You may want to make sure that the pain is, in fact, being caused by shin splints and not by some other injury.

~tessiebess

olifolard

Did you ever find out what was wrong? I'm having the same problem on the nights after I've worked out.

jmayerovitch

My friend gave me this exercise back when I was in college. I was in ROTC and was getting horrible shin splints when running and she was on the track team. They were very similar to what you're describing (more on the side than directly in the front of my shin).

First, take a couple days off. Then start doing this exercise daily:

Sit on the floor with one foot planted on the floor and the other rested across it. With the foot that's on the floor, do toe-raises so that you're basically lifting up the weight of your other leg. Continue to do this about 50 or so times. It should be very easy at first, but after about 50 your leg should really start to burn. Then switch and do the other leg.

This exercise worked wonders for me. I stopped having shin splints. Every time since them I've ever felt like I was getting them again, I went back to doing this exercise for a couple weeks and that stopped them.