SHIN! SPLINTS!

Options
fiendiish
fiendiish Posts: 186
in Fitness and Exercise
OWWWW!

Any tips on dealing with this annoying little problem?

Replies

  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    Options
    Replace your shoes regularly.

    Also what I have really found helps for shin splints and sore legs in general is to have a 20 min cold bath soaking my legs after a run. This is much more effective than ice packs. Then afterwards I will have a warm bath or shower.

    I find having the cold bath really helps to reduce the pain I normally feel the day after an intense run.

    Good luck :smile:
  • tigersgirl
    tigersgirl Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    i would like to know also- i had to stop running because they were getting too bad.
  • Deweypc20
    Deweypc20 Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    I get them too, only on my left shin. So frustrating to work up to running much longer than I ever could, only to have shin splints slow me down. I took 2 weeks off and only did elliptical, and as soon as I went back to running, there it was again.
  • tvgal
    tvgal Posts: 87
    Options
    stand up, and tap your toes, it helps to stretch them out.
  • dcherry88
    dcherry88 Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    the right stretches can help. and exercising right. I couldn't run due to shin splints when i first got back up and going on my weight loss. I started on the eliptical and put in walking and gradually running shortly afterward. The one i learned from my P90X is holding one leg out straight while standing on the other and rolling your ankle about 30 secs both directions. Also flexing and stretching your foot (point the toe forward and bring it up so your toe points toward you). They have helped me alot
  • sarahcook85
    sarahcook85 Posts: 4
    Options
    I got them when I played basketball in high school. Insoles helped me a lot. Here's a good article on how to deal with them. http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-shin-splints.html
  • sld63
    sld63 Posts: 52 Member
    Options
    check out this article

    http://walking.about.com/cs/medleg/ht/htshinsplints.htm?nl=1

    I find my main problem to be overstriding...
  • allonthego
    allonthego Posts: 8
    Options
    Make sure you have really really good support shoes, I wear mine out about every 6 months and if I dont get new ones I end up with shin splints and knees start to hurt. Ice is the only thing else you can use and of course stretching.
  • sweetrevenge
    sweetrevenge Posts: 188
    Options
    Oh thank God, I having been really sore with shin splints!!!
  • waguchan
    waguchan Posts: 450 Member
    Options
    I'm reading a book called "Martial Arts After 40" that address shin splints in a chapter about injury prevention and self-care. It says:

    "Because they are caused by the stress of exercise, they are best relieved through rest. Avoid running, jumping and bouncing until the pain subsides. In the mean time, focus on stretching and strengthening the calf and shin muscles so they are better prepared to handle the stress of your training regiment when you return to it."
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
    Options
    I have shin splints too! I take 2 ibprofen 45 minutes before my walks, use Bengay and wrap up my legs, it helps even though you smell like an old person! It helped a little, but walking on the treadmil at the gym I feel no pain what so ever.
  • Mom2Emery_Liam
    Mom2Emery_Liam Posts: 149
    Options
    Blah, I have one right now, just in my right leg. Hurts like crazy! I did a tough circuit training video on wed, elliptical on thurs for 25 mins and a short 15 min kickboxing video today...also raced my husband and kids in the backyard a few times...that's what set the pain into motion. I'm thinking my shoes aren't cutting it (I have flat feet and these shoes offer no support and they're loose). That on top of maybe landing on my foot wrong probably cased it. It sucks. I wanted to start C25K Monday but looks like I'll be waiting until this goes away:-(
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    Options
    I've been told that massaging as deeply as you can along the front of the shin bone helps. I also recall reading something about how the muscle is damaged and it's healing improperly along the shin bone, and that is the cause of the pain.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
    Options
    You can do exercises to help strengthen your shins but ultimately it's due to over-training. Usually when people first get into running regularly they get them. I struggled with them for over a month from mid-feb to mid-march this year. I never thought they'd go, they linger on for a while, but I'm so happy to be done with them!

    Here's what I did: I stopped running & jumping but I maintained my cardiovascular endurance by doing low-impact (on the shins) activities, using the elliptical trainer rather than the treadmill and occasionally ice skating or swimming when I could. Even with that it still lingers for some time but at one point it will magically go away. Just go real easy on yourself and find an alternative means of burning the calories. New shoes may help, but honestly I think the reason most people experience this is because their shins aren't used to the strain of running consistently for long durations and they are just starting an attempt at running consistently.

Categories