Shin splints

My shin splints also started this week on one leg. I switched cardio to the rowing machine and glider so that I still get the cardio but no impact. My trainer told me ice them, give them rest from running and I should be ok next week. I also bought some shin protection from the sport store. I feel better. The key is to run with heel then toe down. My form was bad before and new balance shoes are great for me. Hope this helps. I'm 44 and weighted in at 172 today but I'm only 5"4 so it's a lot of weight to be pounding on the treadmill I guess.

ice all the time. in high school i also bought a couple braces that worked kind of like a tennis elbow brace - they keep constant pressure on the affected area and it helps with the pain. i still get them now (age 24) but they're not nearly as bad. stretch, ice, brace, and just keep running.

edit to add that i find shoes with better arch support to be helpful. you'll probably want a stiffer shoe that doesn't let your foot move around as much inside it to keep your muscles stabilized.

Shin splints can be caused from a variety of reasons. Some of the most common are improper footware because of lack of support in the arch, sudden change in activity level, and change in surface (pavement to grass to wood floor, etc). Singling out your cause will help you to find a solution!

Are you running on a treadmill or outside? I used to get shin splints real bad in high school when I was running with the soccer team. Transitioning from the ground (grass & dirt) to the sidewalk as we did "perimeter" runs caused half of the team to have shin splints. So that is one thing to take into consideration.

As far as sneakers, if you go to a New Balance store the sales person will watch you as you walk to see what your stride is like and suggest sneakers based on that. You can also bring your current pair of shoes in and by looking at the tread they can tell if you aren't landing correctly with your foot. I would imagine a lot of stores offer the same service. That should help too.

I used to get shin splints all the time. I went to get fitted for running shoes at the running room and for $200 dollars later I still had problems with shin splints. I tried numerous types of stretches and always iced and elevated my legs and I still had problems.

I decided to invest in compression socks thinking it was worth a shot and they actually worked. Mine were around $70 just for the socks but it was well worth it.

Only have a couple of minutes...Shin Splints... Yuck! Pain is your bodies way of telling you something is wrong...

Usually caused by poor footwear, overusage or a mechanical flaw in your form.

1. Get properly fitted shoes... No not those cheepie W*&mart brand ones and not by some pimply faced kid in high school. Go to someone who is experienced and trained in gait analysis. I go to Running Room here... I hear decent things about Fleet Feet and RoadRunner in the US.
2. Shoes have a life span... if they have over 500 miles... they are dead. Imagine if you were slammed into the pavement a couple of thousand times a mile... how much support do you think you'd be able to offer? Shoes are no different and once they are no longer supporting your foot they can lead to issues. Bottom line is they wear out and can lead to injuries.
3. Overusage... too much too fast. Running is about adaptation. No one just wakes up one morning, decides to take up running and runs a full marathon the next day. Adaptation takes time. Only ever increase your mileage by about 10% per week. To exceed that leads to shin splints and eventually stress fractures. For anyone starting a running program, I usually suggest alternating walking and running days. Walking helps build muscles complimentary to running.
4. Get a proper gait analysis by a physio therapist or sports MD. They will look at the way you run, analyze it and see where the problem comes in... Often flaws in our form, lead to injury. They can diagnose and correct this.
5. Take a step back and reduce your workouts to a less painful point in time. Rest is not a dirty word either.

For treatment -> I'd suggest doing an ice massage 3-4 times per day (10-15 minutes) with some gentle stretching. What helped me was doing single leg calf raises and core stability work. I do 100 calf raises per day (NB - build to it... not all at once) per leg and about 10-15 minutes of core work as well. Strengthening the muscles, reduces the likelyhood of injury. If the symptoms persist... see a physiotherapist.

PS> I do not recommend people use "Runners Beans" aka Advil, Tylenol etc... swelling is an important part of the healing process. Runners Beans reduce the amount of swelling you are limiting your bodies ability to heal, you are also masking pain which is what tells you that you are injured.

Hope that helps!

Go get fitted at a running store, then look online, Zappos, Amazon, etc. Lots of ways to find shoes for less money but not cheaper quality

I still get them, ice and my trainer said to make sure to stretch my calf's because when they are tight its harder for shins??

Please reconsider this practice. I am not affiliated with any retail merchants, but we need to support our local merchants or we will lose them. I avoid the big box stores and always try to keep my dollars within my local community. It does pay off.

OP I dont feel like getting into a shoe debate, but if you want to discuss this subject more, feel free to inbox me. I do suggest that you get a vibrator massager for your legs, calfs, feet and shins. Shin splints are inflammation of the tendons that anchor your muscles & tendons have limited blood supply and they take longer to heal. Before and after running loosen em up and get the blood flowing with the vibrator massager..

Shin splints are bascially a result of what is called the terrible toos....too much, too long, too hard.

Ive run for years & have had a terrible history with shin splints until I learned the value of the vibrator massager. Take a break, shin splints can take time and if you jump back on em too soon, it will getcha again.

My trainer advises me to ice after a workout if I feel them starting - another poster mentioned doing kettlebell lifts - h did toe raises (sitting) with 5 pound ankle weights around the balls of my feet - again, the muscles are underdeveloped and that is part of what causes the shin splints. The way you land is the other part - I got fitted at a running store where they watched me on a treadmill and discussed issues I have while training and the shoes I have are amazing - I tend to land hard on my heels - these help me land midfoot and roll forward - in other words, they help prevent the motion that causes the shin splints. Between these 3 things, I have had no shin splints at all this month and have been training heavily - running intervals and walking up to 3.5 miles per day to get ready for a race.

If you don't have a personal trainer, and who can afford one all the time, then get a consultation with one at a health club - a lot of clubs will give you a reduced cost initial consultation (or even a free one) in hopes of selling you a package. Also, go to a local running store and get fitted - talk to the trainer on staff there, too - they are well trained to help people enjoy the sport and avoid injury.

Good luck!