Shin Splints Ruining My Day :(

ice those shins when they hurt and really good shoes. Make sure you are walking correctly,heel to toe,and using your calf muscles,thats what my PT friend has told me anyway.She sees alot of people that just plop along using their thighs more then the rest of the leg and it causes all kinds of issues,and then running around in $10 no support shoes.This is what I have been told so not real life advice,but it makes sense.

This happens with a lot of runners who aren't wearing the proper shoes. I would go to your local running store and get fitted for shoes that fit YOU properly (and make sure to tell them you'll be walking, not running). Good luck!

A combination of these three approaches will usually help most people recover from shin splints and experience less pain:

1. Active Rest is the first mode of treatment for all types of shin splints. "Active rest" does not mean you must stop running or exercising. Many people make the mistake of not exercising for many weeks and then attempting the same distances that got them into trouble the first time. Rather, rest should be active to relieve stress on painful areas, yet maintain your conditioning. Completely stopping activities may give temporary relief, but injuries are likely to resurface with resumed activity, especially if you are trying to make up for lost time.

Active rest activities include low-impact exercises like the elliptical trainer, stationary cycling, and swimming. Try any activity that doesn't involve the same muscles as running, and that doesn't require repetitive impact on hard surfaces. “Water running” is another effective way to rehab these injuries: Use a flotation device and run in the deep end of a pool. You can move to the shallow end, running on the bottom, as your pain begins to improve.

Remember, the human body is truly remarkable in its ability to adapt, BUT it prefers to adapt to gradual changes over time. With slow, steady progress, your muscles, tendons and other soft tissues will better adapt to the stresses you are asking of it.

2. Ice can be very helpful during the acute phases of your pain. This is especially true if your shin splints are accompanied by redness, localized tenderness, or swelling. Try an ice massage by holding an ice cube in a washcloth and rubbing the swollen, sore area for 10 to 15 minutes. Another trick of the trade is to use a bag of frozen vegetables.

Remember not to exceed 10 to 15 minutes each time you ice, and always wrap ice cubes, frozen veggies, and store-bought gel ice in a towel or washcloth to avoid burns and frostbite. You can repeat icing every few hours as needed.

3. Stretching and strengthening the calf muscles can help prevent and treat shin splints. Here are some stretches that will target this area. (Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds, repeating 2-3 times.)
Calf stretch: Step forward into a half lunge, toes pointing forward. Your forward leg should be bent and the back leg should be straight. Stretch the calf of your back leg by pressing your heel down toward the floor, keeping the forward leg bent and stationary. You should feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Repeat on opposite side.

Hamstring stretch: Begin by standing upright, feet under hips, toes pointed forward. Place the heel of your right forward so that your toes point upward. Keep your back leg slightly bent and abs tight to help with balance. Place your hands on your front thigh. Keeping torso straight, bend over from the waist, lowering your upper body towards your extended leg until you feel a stretch in the hamstring of your front leg. Repeat on opposite side.
Remember, these are general guidelines for the self-treatment of shin splints. The underlying problem is that your body is unable to cope with the stress of exercise that you are placing on it. Be patient; it will take time—sometimes weeks or months—to resolve. Never attempt to train through the pain, and always stop when your body tells you to. If you are not improving with this home treatment, if you worsen significantly, or if the pain becomes a continuous discomfort (even at rest), revisit your health care provider.

Source: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=611

You should see your physio, he can assist with your shin splits and would be happy to give you some tips on what you can do while the splints are recovering

You may want to get some blood work done if the shin splints keeps coming back. You may be deficient in certain vitamins etc.

Ice!!

http://www.fitpowernation.com/3/post/2012/05/shin-splints.html


I see them every day as an athletic trainer. Here's a blog I wrote last year.

there are 3 main causes of shin splints : bad running form, improper footwear for your body/gait issues, and weak muscles.

when i first started running again the first 2 weeks my shins killed me and i figured out it was because of #3. not that the muscles were weak since i could walk fine, but with extra weight it took some time for them to get used to the additional pounding.

what help was wearing calf sleeves on recovery days and consistent icing, stretching massaging. it finally took about 2 weeks (of 3 days a week running) where my shin pain went away and i didnt need the calf sleeves anymore.

good luck!

try cycling for some relief while also doing cardio. also, on what kind of surface do you run on?