SHIN SPLINTS!! Ahhhhh

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Replies

  • arw4
    arw4 Posts: 51 Member
    If you have to take some time off, you could always cross train. Swimming, biking, the elliptical, and other machines can help you stay in shape while reducing the stress on your body.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
    Just be careful. I ran through shin splits and ended up with a stress fracture, from Jan- July of this year no running (or anything) at all. (not to mention the terrible walking cast for 6 weeks and endless physical therapy). Now I can only do 1-2 runs/week, if I am lucky, without having pain, and have to stick to the torturous elliptical for additional cardio.

    My advice would be to stretch/warm up dynamically before you run, stretch statically after you run, compression wraps and braces are good for stabilization while running and afterwards, eat plenty of calcium and Vitamin D to keep your bones strong, keep focus on strength training to keep those muscles strong that will take a pounding each time you run, and when in doubt, rest don't run. You can cross train and still keep up your endurance.

    Also, post runs I would take some anti-inflammatory (aleve, motrin), and ice your calve.

    Last point on endurance: After 6 months of little to no real physical activity my endurance is bouncing back quite nicely. So I would not worry about that.

    I have learned that it is better to forgo a few runs than sustain an injury that could affect your long term ability to run.

    That is just advice from my experience, of course, I am not even close to an expert.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
    oh and also, beware of the employees who fit you at the running stores.

    I did get fitted (with treadmill video taping and fancy software and everything) for brand new shoes about 2 months before my stress fracture.

    Fast forward a few months later and my physical therapist told me she never would have put me in the shoes they recommended for me.

    Just saying...
  • Lisdol
    Lisdol Posts: 22 Member
    Very good advice... all this talk of long term damages scares me so I think I might take a little time off from running or run a lot less for awhile and do other activities.
  • Sassy922
    Sassy922 Posts: 399 Member
    I had the worst "shin splints" in HS, and the school trainer always told me it was because of the switch from conditioning on the track to the running in cleats on the field. He made it sound like there was no relief from it and to stretch and invest in Mineral Ice, which I did. And the relief was minimal.

    BUT when I started the workout routine at my gym, I hired a trainer (who happened to be a former classmate and a semi pro soccer player) and he told me that the real trainers told him they were either one from stress fractures or lack of muscle build. The more weights I incorporated in my workout routine, the less my shins hurt while running.

    So, first I suggest going to a doctor and getting it checked out. Make sure you are fracture free.
    Then continue stretching and icing.
    But most importantly work those weights and build that supporting muscle.
  • Sassy922
    Sassy922 Posts: 399 Member
    oh and also, beware of the employees who fit you at the running stores.

    I did get fitted (with treadmill video taping and fancy software and everything) for brand new shoes about 2 months before my stress fracture.

    Fast forward a few months later and my physical therapist told me she never would have put me in the shoes they recommended for me.

    Just saying...

    Yes! I agree with this! Get fitted by a doctor or a physical therapist!
  • Lisdol
    Lisdol Posts: 22 Member
    I had the worst "shin splints" in HS, and the school trainer always told me it was because of the switch from conditioning on the track to the running in cleats on the field. He made it sound like there was no relief from it and to stretch and invest in Mineral Ice, which I did. And the relief was minimal.

    BUT when I started the workout routine at my gym, I hired a trainer (who happened to be a former classmate and a semi pro soccer player) and he told me that the real trainers told him they were either one from stress fractures or lack of muscle build. The more weights I incorporated in my workout routine, the less my shins hurt while running.

    So, first I suggest going to a doctor and getting it checked out. Make sure you are fracture free.
    Then continue stretching and icing.
    But most importantly work those weights and build that supporting muscle.

    Good call, I do need to incorporate weights into my routine! I know weights and cardio will get you the best results anyways, I just got lost in the zone with my cardio lol

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