Shin splints

sculley

Does anyone know what can be done to help heal shin splints I went to run a mile and a half today and started feeling it it probably has alot to do with the fact that in the last 8 days I have ran 21 miles....hmmmm any ideas on alternate exercise as well.

Thanks girls!:happy:

sculley

Does anyone know what can be done to help heal shin splints I went to run a mile and a half today and started feeling it it probably has alot to do with the fact that in the last 8 days I have ran 21 miles....hmmmm any ideas on alternate exercise as well.

Thanks girls!:happy:

alaskagal

I've had the same problem since being on here and exercising more.

Check out:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/shin-splints.php

http://www.watfxc.com/TF/TF Education/shin_splints.htm

As for alternate exercise go with something low- or no- impact. Maybe swimming? Here's a website with a bunch of suggested exercises. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

http://www.freeworkoutsguide.com/index.html

Good luck!
:flowerforyou:

icupfunny2000

I get shin splints too. My dr said if you wrap the leg or legs with a tensor bandage when you are working out it might help with pain, and you should also take it easy and maybe walk instead of run, the shin splints can take up to 6 weeks to heal!!!! My dr also recomends advil for pain, but my fear of advil is that i will take it and then go workout and do more damage cause i cant feel the pain.
Shin splints are caused by overexerting your body, its actually ripping of the muscle and tendon, that is where you feel the pain not in the actual shin bone...
hope it gets better fast for you
j~

christahollis

Shin splints are a killer. Basically there's one sure fire solution...less mileage. To beat them, and be able to do your miles again, try these exercises:
1. sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight in front of you. have someone else hold a towel by the two ends, sitting in front of your feet (so you're face to face), and drape the towel over the tops of your feet. have them pull against the towel as you pull your toes toward you. three sets, 20 or so reps, daily.
2. sit in a chair with your feet extended in front you you, write the alphabet with your toes moving only your feet and ankles (don't let your knees sway or move). do this one like 3-5 times daily
3. some say just sitting and tapping your feet (like to music) can help strengthen those muscles most affected by shin splints. so when you think about it...you know...tap.

I used to get them something fierce, and I even gave myself frostbite with ice packs once because the pain was a killer--I was doing five miles every day but Sunday. To get rid of them, I dropped running entirely until the pain went away (I was even having pain when I wasn't working out), doing the exercises my ortho guy suggested, and then gently reintroduced running again. I'm running about three miles a day now...and no shin splints again yet!
My doc says that once you get them, you're more prone to have them again in the future--so you need to always be careful.
Also--never run on concrete. The impact just makes it that much worse...rubber track, treadmill, or even dirt path is better. You sould also not be running on any surface that's uneven--like the side of a road or on the beach--because one side is hitting lower than the other with every stride and can cause injury.
Oh...and shoes. Can't say enough about good shoes.

kelpie06

I ran in college and got shin splints then and I remember that they were a killer physically and mentally because I wanted to run and couldn't.

I am running a lot lately, trying to get ready for a half marathon in three weeks... Yikes that sounds soon. Anyway, I've been following a training schedule and there is always a day off in between the runs so that your body can repair, build muscle, etc. in between your runs. You can do other low impact stuff on those days but I have read that rest is just as important as training.

Also, I totally agree with the good shoes coment that Christahollis made. I went to a place too, where they have you step on a piece of glass and study the imprint of your foot. Then I stood on a treadmill and they draw all over the back of your legs, while they are straight, while they are bent and then they fit me for implants to put inside my sneakers. It basically corrects the way you step when you are running so that everything all the way up your body is more in-line when you run. It's made a big difference for me.

sculley

Thanks for the suggestions girls I will look it all up but the NO running part I can't do. I am in the military and some exercises are mandatory.

AlbertSchwartz

I think the tension bandages is your best bet. Shin splints are small fractures in the bones I had them while i was playing rugby, and they only went away when I stopped playing at the end of the season.

Maybe try running on soft ground to easy the impacked.

Al

banks1850

Yes, as a runner in highschool and college, I got them too. There are a few things you can do. 1 go to a real running store (not a sporting goods store) and find out what the best running shoes are for shock absorbsion, it makes a big difference. Also, try splitting time between running outside and on a tred mill. Tred mill's usually have a softer surface that absorb much of the impact, I know it's not the same, but if you vary the speeds and incline, it does a decent job. And 3, you can put a jumper's strap around your upper shin, that should hold the ligaments in place and keep the splints from acting up, or you can use a tight cloth knee brace, anything to hold the ligaments of the upper shin in place. And lastly, if you feel them starting, don't push through them, It will only make them worse, slow down or go to a fast walk, reduce the impact. if none of this helps, then the only thing that will work is giving them time to heal.