Shin Splints

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MeganAnne89
MeganAnne89 Posts: 271 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
About this time last year I started experiencing pain along the front of both of my shins. At that time it was just a dull pain that seemed to go up and down the front of my legs. I chalked it up to shin splints at the time because I knew that I needed new footwear and it went away after I took a holiday which meant two weeks of no exercising.

In December they came back, but only in my right leg. I was getting concerned because it had gotten worse so I went to my doctor and had an xray done (although I've heard that shin splints don't always show up in xrays). She said there was nothing abnormal so I most likely just have a weak shin bone (we also came to this conclusion because I have experienced zero swelling or redness and my right shin looks just like my left).

I find my case is a bit odd because I never experience any pain while I'm exercising. It generally occurs if I've been walking around the office a lot at work or if I've worn an uncomfortable pair of shows or I've been crossing my legs too much (that tends to make it worse so I try not to). And yesterday on my walk home from the bus stop it all of a sudden felt different than it had before. I didn't do anything weird, I just took a regular step, and the feeling is hard to describe, but you know when you're breaking a twig and before it actually breaks, you sometimes get little tiny fragments that split first? It felt like tiny pinpricks with that exact feeling. But then I tried to just walk normally and it went away, however I still had the usual dull pain I sometimes experience.

For a while there I was doing a lot of toe lifts to strengthen the muscle beneath it but I'm wondering if, besides looking into an even better, more supportive pair of runners and wearing inserts in my regular shoes, are there any other exercises or particular stretches that I should be doing for this?

Replies

  • jmiles81
    jmiles81 Posts: 10 Member
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    Shins Splints?
    The shin bone helps absorb and dissipate the impact generated with each foot fall during running.
    Much like a beam on a bridge or in a skyscraper bows slightly when it's supporting a lot of weight, your tibia bends backwards slightly on impact with the ground, putting compressive forces on the medial side of the bone.
    In healthy runners, the stress a bone experiences after a long, hard run is not a problem. The body responds to the stress on the bone by remodeling the tibia to become stronger and thicker. This is why shin problems are more common in less experienced runners: their bone has not yet adapted to the stresses of a high-impact activity like running.

    The outdated theory on preventing shin splints was that tightness or weakness of the shin muscles caused them to tug at their insertion point, irritating the periosteum, a thin, skin-like structure that envelopes the tibia itself. This is why a common treatment for shin splints is to complete shin-strengthening exercises with a theraband.
    Unfortunately, because this outdated view is not the real cause of shin splints, strengthening the tibialis anterior will only help prevent shin splints slightly—mostly because it's such a small muscle and its primary function is dorsiflexion of the ankle, not shock absorption.

    In reality, improving calf strength, abductor strength and pelvic stability are a better approach to preventing shin splints.
    The calves are the largest muscle group in the lower leg and strengthening them will help you stabilize the tibia with each impact. Moreover, the size of your calves is directly related to the size and strength of your tibia since the tibia "grows" in response to the muscles around it.
    Specifically, studies have shown that runners with shin splints had significantly worse hip abduction strength and more motion in their torsos and hips when they landed and pushed off, compared to healthy runners.
    Therefore, the most effective exercises for strengthening your shins and preventing shin splints are calf raises and hip abductor exercises.

    Hip Thrusts
    Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides. Extend the right leg straight out, and raise your pelvis off the ground. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight/stable as you lift your pelvis. At the top of the movement your body should be in a straight line from your knee to your head. Beginners can thrust on both legs while advanced runners can rest their foot on a medicine ball or Swiss ball for added difficulty in balance. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions on each leg.

    Donkey Kicks
    Keep your abs tight and your back flat. Imagine placing a broomstick on your back and keeping it in place throughout the entire movement. Lift your left leg off the ground with the knee bent. Keep the movement controlled and arch your back. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions per leg.

    Clams
    Keep the pelvis perpendicular to the floor rather than rolling backwards, which is a way to cheat during this exercise. Keeping your feet stacked one on top of the other and together, lift your knee up, then bring it back down. Work up to 20 repetitions on each leg. For additional difficulty, wrap a theraband around your knees.
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    Options
    Shins Splints?
    The shin bone helps absorb and dissipate the impact generated with each foot fall during running.
    Much like a beam on a bridge or in a skyscraper bows slightly when it's supporting a lot of weight, your tibia bends backwards slightly on impact with the ground, putting compressive forces on the medial side of the bone.
    In healthy runners, the stress a bone experiences after a long, hard run is not a problem. The body responds to the stress on the bone by remodeling the tibia to become stronger and thicker. This is why shin problems are more common in less experienced runners: their bone has not yet adapted to the stresses of a high-impact activity like running.

    The outdated theory on preventing shin splints was that tightness or weakness of the shin muscles caused them to tug at their insertion point, irritating the periosteum, a thin, skin-like structure that envelopes the tibia itself. This is why a common treatment for shin splints is to complete shin-strengthening exercises with a theraband.
    Unfortunately, because this outdated view is not the real cause of shin splints, strengthening the tibialis anterior will only help prevent shin splints slightly—mostly because it's such a small muscle and its primary function is dorsiflexion of the ankle, not shock absorption.

    In reality, improving calf strength, abductor strength and pelvic stability are a better approach to preventing shin splints.
    The calves are the largest muscle group in the lower leg and strengthening them will help you stabilize the tibia with each impact. Moreover, the size of your calves is directly related to the size and strength of your tibia since the tibia "grows" in response to the muscles around it.
    Specifically, studies have shown that runners with shin splints had significantly worse hip abduction strength and more motion in their torsos and hips when they landed and pushed off, compared to healthy runners.
    Therefore, the most effective exercises for strengthening your shins and preventing shin splints are calf raises and hip abductor exercises.

    Hip Thrusts
    Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides. Extend the right leg straight out, and raise your pelvis off the ground. Squeeze your glutes and keep your core tight/stable as you lift your pelvis. At the top of the movement your body should be in a straight line from your knee to your head. Beginners can thrust on both legs while advanced runners can rest their foot on a medicine ball or Swiss ball for added difficulty in balance. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions on each leg.

    Donkey Kicks
    Keep your abs tight and your back flat. Imagine placing a broomstick on your back and keeping it in place throughout the entire movement. Lift your left leg off the ground with the knee bent. Keep the movement controlled and arch your back. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions per leg.

    Clams
    Keep the pelvis perpendicular to the floor rather than rolling backwards, which is a way to cheat during this exercise. Keeping your feet stacked one on top of the other and together, lift your knee up, then bring it back down. Work up to 20 repetitions on each leg. For additional difficulty, wrap a theraband around your knees.

    This sounds like one of the most complete descriptions of shin splints I have ever read. Thank you so much for sharing.
    I used to get shin splints when I ran (I ran cross-country in High School). One I picked up running again as an adult I never had shin splints. I bet it was because this time I was starting off slower with C25K instead of starting off with a 3 mile run. But I was also doing at home exercise videos on the cross training days, and was doing the exercises you mentioned-- donkey kicks, hip thursts, and clams, as well as lunges, etc.).

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