Shin bone pain while running

JolynedD
JolynedD Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I tried starting C25K last night using the nifty app but I just cannot run!!! My shins hurt soo bad!!!! It feels like they are about to break. Even when I was 110lbs of pull muscle as a competitive gymnast, I was never a runner. I could do short sprints but never long distance. My friend ran almost 3km's straight where I wasn't even able to finish more then 5 sets of 60 seconds. - I'm scared about my Color Me Rad 5K in June now. I told myself this wasn't about racing or running, that it was about pushing myself to do things I never thought I could do. But now I'm scared to get left in the dust... :( LOL Man I wish my shins didn't hurt but I bet they wouldn't if I was like 100lbs lighter!

Does anyone have any suggestions or websites they could point me towards for me to do some more research on this shin pain and if there is anything I can do to relieve this.

Replies

  • faith_76
    faith_76 Posts: 199 Member
    Good shoes, ice after, if you ran on pavement try running in the grass, it's softer so less impact on your shins. After a week or two it should feel better.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,994 Member
    Google "shin splints". It's a common running injury.

    When I had it several years ago, the physio told me it was caused by muscular imbalance in the lower legs. I needed to stretch the calves more and strengthen the shins by doing toe raises. Sit on a counter top and hang a bucket from your foot with some stuff to weight it and raise the toes.
  • MomTo3Lovez
    MomTo3Lovez Posts: 800 Member
    It's been said good shoes. I have read on another post here to ice the shins for 20 min after. And also stretch, before and after, it sounds like shin splints.

    Good luck!
  • Bigmitch41
    Bigmitch41 Posts: 73 Member
    Correct running shoes will help with your shin splints, my guess is you have the wrong type for your profile, google under/over pronation.
  • aswearingen22
    aswearingen22 Posts: 271 Member
    Good advice so far. My #1 suggestion it to go to a running specialty store and get fitted for running shoes. It will make a huge difference. Also, the Color Me Rad type of 5k's will generally have a tom of walkers, so just run what you can and walk the rest and enjoy! We are doing the Color Run with our 8 and 4 year olds in June!;)
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
    The correct footwear is absolutely vital for runners. Take the shoes you currently wear for running to a specialist running store and ask them to do a gait analysis. They will put you on a treadmill in the shoes you are currently wearing and will watch or even video you to see how your legs and feet move when you run. Then they will be able to recommend shoes with the right kind of support for your feet.

    I second the suggestion to do calf raises too - they will help strengthen the calves and the muscles around the shins to help support your feet.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    This is very common in new runners, and will go away in time. Take it slow(the c25k app is a good method of easing into running), don't run consecutive days, stretch, get good shoes, and slow your running down. Don't give up. Many people claim "I just can't run" because of these early discomforts. Once you get past it, running will get easier.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    http://gizmodo.com/5902699/banish-shin-splints-forever-with-one-magical-exercise

    http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/shin-splints

    http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2011/05/4-shin-splint-solutions-and-st.html


    Check these out. Also, C25K will help transform you into a runner physically. Take it slow, but keep with it, repeat weeks as you need to, but this will pass.

    Also, when you know running is your sport, find a bonafide running store and get fitted for proper footwear, that will help more than training, form, stretching or anything.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Yup, shoes, ice, ibuprofen, rest for shin splints. Kick your shoes off and write out the alphabet with your toes to strengthen the muscles there.

    New runners often lift their toes too much trying to achieve a heel landing and this can cause repetitive strain on the muscles either side of the shin - that certainly gave me beginner's shin splints. Try and land mid-foot and make sure your leading foot hits the ground underneath and not in front of your torso - you'll be grateful down the line when you don't have to unlearn bad form!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    You are landing on the FRONT of you foot when you run most likely

    Try getting your heel to hit the ground first, see if that helps
  • handyrunner
    handyrunner Posts: 32,662 Member
    I had terrible shin splints when started running...classic case of to much to soon. I tried running through them until i couldnt and had to take a month off with PT. When I returned to running, i still had pain and was forced to a very slow pace but I stuck with that slow pace and the pain eventually went away..id say about 8 weeks.

    So the point is rest...and if you absolulty have to run...slow it down!
  • Chrisdoc1984
    Chrisdoc1984 Posts: 29
    I had a similar problem a few years back, and like others have said, it was shin splints caused by over-pronation (a problem that also caused me countless Achilles injuries). Short-term, the only way to deal with it was to lay off the running for a little bit, ice up and take plenty of ibuprofen. Long term, I went to see a orthotics specialist who set me up with a pair of custom made insoles for my trainers, made the world of a difference when I got back to it. Never been bothered with it since.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Shin splints are a repetitive use / overstress injury. One does not develop medial tibial stress syndrome in the span of mere seconds or yards of running.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Change your running posture. I bet you're heel striking. If you move to a more natural posture, where your forefoot/midfoot are taking the impact of the stride, your shins will hurt a lot less. Google Chi Running, and you'll see the difference.
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    I had the same excrucitating pain when I first started trying to run as well. Doc told me NO HIGH IMPACT ANYTHING.... I was getting bored and losing weight so I decided one day to give it a shot again. Pain still there but I decided enough was enough, I had certainly experienced other pain along the path and decided to see if the shin pain would fade with time as other pains of starting a workout had... they did. Just take it easy, stretch before, after, and any time you feel like the muscles are tight. Don't run consecutive, wait a day or two, or until any residual pain is gone or almost gone before running again. When I started the C25K program I wasn't coming close to a full mile completed between the walking and running... within two months I was completing a 5k in 45 minutes not using the program and have now pushed the time to about 35 minutes. I started running about 9 or 10 months ago. It's slow progress but it's comfortable and I never experience shin pain anymore.

    I run indoors, on a track during winter so it will be interesting to see how this changes when I go outdoors soon
  • JolynedD
    JolynedD Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks everyone, these all seem like great tips. I'm also happy that I'm not the only one who experienced this in the beginning. I'll give all of these a try because running is always something I wanted to enjoy doing. Plus, it'll help me keep up with my busy kids! :)
  • pauleybaby
    pauleybaby Posts: 2
    Agree fully. Overdoing it. NSAID and rest.
  • pauleybaby
    pauleybaby Posts: 2
    Shin splints are a repetitive use / overstress injury. One does not develop medial tibial stress syndrome in the span of mere seconds or yards of running.

    Agree fully. Overdoing it. NSAID and rest.
  • thatismesammyg
    thatismesammyg Posts: 71 Member
    100 dorsal flexes before running. 100 again after. Sit down, put your legs together, lift them up off the ground. Then point your feet and flex them back toward your legs.

    Get a better pair of running shoes. I had the manager at our local shoe store (not a chain) check my gait and he picked out a great pair of shoes for me. I haven't had a problem since.
  • mrswestmoreland
    mrswestmoreland Posts: 27 Member
    i just started running too. I talked to someone in a run clinic and was told that the pain was probably due to the way i landed. WHen you are running the pull should be felt in ur calves not the front of ur legs. So for me that requires me to land on the front of my feet (as if i was walking on my toes) so whenever i run now and feel the pain in any area other that my calves then i know im landing incorrectly. so focus on landing in the way that puts the pull in your calves. maybe practice walking and seeing how you land and where the pull is. hope that helps.
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
    however, if they don't go away or they keep coming back it is worth seeing a medic or physio about it

    I am hypermobile and managed to get 6 long term bouts of shin splints palying basketball and football as a teenager over 7 years they never really went away, having repeated physio and ever increasing doses of nsaids on prescriptions finally lead to the consultant telling me not to do any high impact excercise including running anymore :(
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    I get shin splints, really bad if I don't stop and rest until the pain goes away.

    I am trying again and going much much slower. I would even get shin splints from following a C25K similar program. I am going to go a lot slower, plus talk to my physiotherapist about it as well.
  • lynndemouramcglynn
    lynndemouramcglynn Posts: 1
    stretch stretch sretch
  • Dalker
    Dalker Posts: 44 Member
    Think about how you are landing when you run. I had bad shin splints from heel striking and then ankle problems from over compensating and running right on my toes. I don't know enough to tell you exactly how to land but do some reading and use your running sections on the c25k to be mindful about your form.

    Oh and some good shoes.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    You are landing on the FRONT of you foot when you run most likely

    Try getting your heel to hit the ground first, see if that helps
    no you do not want your heel to hit first, mid sole is best
  • Bella0531
    Bella0531 Posts: 309 Member
    New runners often lift their toes too much trying to achieve a heel landing and this can cause repetitive strain on the muscles either side of the shin - that certainly gave me beginner's shin splints. Try and land mid-foot and make sure your leading foot hits the ground underneath and not in front of your torso - you'll be grateful down the line when you don't have to unlearn bad form!

    This exactly! I had a gait analysis done at my local running store and they told me that the cause of my pain was likely because I was raising my toes each time I took a step. I've tried really hard to fix that and the pain is definitely getting better - not gone yet - hopefully soon!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    You are landing on the FRONT of you foot when you run most likely

    Try getting your heel to hit the ground first, see if that helps
    no you do not want your heel to hit first, mid sole is best

    Neither specifically.

    The main thing is to avoid over-reaching the leg in the forward part of the stride, so aiming to land the foot just in front of the the body mass. By doing that the foot will naturally tend towards a midfoot or forefoot landing, there is less rotational force on the lower leg, which reduces the stresses on the bone, muscle and joints.

    Generally a heelstrike is most likely to lead to bad form.

    That can be complemented by exercises that strengthen the shin muscle; cycling, lifting the toes againts resistance bands or a sandbag.
  • amylg05
    amylg05 Posts: 89 Member
    I had this really bad, I ordered some KT tape (you can get it on Ebay) - its about £5 for 20 strips, just stick it over your shins - after a few days it had gone and ive not had it since! Although I havent done much running lately! But might be worth a try :)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    ive not had it since.... Although I havent done much running lately

    I think that you've identified the causal link, and it had little to do with randomly taping.

    If the problem really is shin splints, rather than a little bit of muscular pain, then rest it until the pain goes away. Running through it will just exacerbate it and potentially make the problem permanent.

    Taping, when done properly, has a place in rehabilitation, but done badly just gives a false sense of confidence and can be counter-productive.

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