Shin and calf pain

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rkrchck
rkrchck Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all!
when trying to jog on the treadmill or run i will get pain in my shins....so i decided to take it easy and just walk briskly - which usually is no problem. After starting in gym for a few weeks, doing usual treadmill warm-up with brisk walking, i found that my shins AND calves are now hurting while just doing that. I walked around my neighborhood today, still brisk walking, and i got so much pain in my shins and calves.

Can anyone help me understand why this is happening? and any suggestions on what i can do to help this?

Replies

  • AustinRockall
    AustinRockall Posts: 35
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    Shin Splints

    Most cases of shin splints can be treated with rest, ice and other self-care measures. Wearing proper footwear and modifying your exercise routine can help prevent shin splints from recurring.
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
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    stand on the edge of a step with your toes on the steps and raise and lower yourself as many times as you can it will help
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
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    Definitely stretch the shins before and after working out. http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stretch-front-calf-6657.html

    Also, it happened to me when I first started running, I looked it up and I realised I was running with a hard 'heel strike' - the first thing that hit the ground was my heel, and that apparently shocks the whole leg. I modified my running so the middle of my foot hit first, and it immediately helped. That, and the stretching, has helped me keep going :)
  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    Yup. Shin splints. Should be easy enough to do a web search and learn all the leading opinions on what to do (and not do) about the problem.

    Basic problem is you are training a little harder than one muscle group is ready for. I'd suggest walking instead of running for awhile. If you can walk outdoors where the footing is variable (eg: a trail in a park vs. pavement), that may be a better choice because you'll work out the small stabilizing muscles on the uneven ground, but not have enough exact repetition to stress any one group disproportionately and tire them out. As those muscles become more conditioned and strong from being used on uneven terrain, then you won't get shin splints when you run anymore--unless you once again push a little to hard for your level of condition. Just dial back the effort a little and don't try to improve too fast.
  • WombatHat42
    WombatHat42 Posts: 192 Member
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    Hello all!
    when trying to jog on the treadmill or run i will get pain in my shins....so i decided to take it easy and just walk briskly - which usually is no problem. After starting in gym for a few weeks, doing usual treadmill warm-up with brisk walking, i found that my shins AND calves are now hurting while just doing that. I walked around my neighborhood today, still brisk walking, and i got so much pain in my shins and calves.

    Can anyone help me understand why this is happening? and any suggestions on what i can do to help this?

    Like a few people have said it is shin splints. I got them all the time in High school football. Still do occasionally. It happens for a couple reasons, not stretching/warming up the muscles enough and the one muscle being weaker or stronger than the opposite(proportionately speaking) in this case the gastrocnemius muscle(or soleus in some cases) and tibialis anterior. Most cases the gastroc is much stronger and causes the issue. One of the reasons why you should always work the opposite muscle(ie bicep-tricep, chest-shoulder etc)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    i found that my shins AND calves are now hurting while just doing that. I walked around my neighborhood today, still brisk walking, and i got so much pain in my shins and calves.

    Sounds like it might be shin splints, but the corresponding calf pain suggests that it may be something different.

    If it is shin splints, then the best treatment is rest, icing and elevation unntil it goes away, then doing some work to reduce the likelihood of recurrene further down the line.

    Treatments to prevent recurrence do depend on what's causing it, which can broadly be from one or more of:

    Shoes being inappropriate or lifed out
    Overstriding placing excessive torque loading on your lower leg
    Other related gait issues like significant over-pronation
    Muscle imbalance between the shin and the calf (this is why calf pain is unusual in shin splints)
    Lack of flexibility in either shin or calf muscle

    Personally I've found that treadmill running encourages in me a gait that will lead to lower leg injury, so running on one is more likely to lead to injury unless I remain very focussed on my form.
  • tennisgirl444
    tennisgirl444 Posts: 57 Member
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    I've been facing the same issue, but I've pretty much managed it and I've been running 3x per week with almost no pain (I'd say it's 90-95% cured with no break in training). What has helped for me:

    - stretching calf and Achilles heel- you can google stretches
    - using a tennis ball or "the stick" on my shin and calves
    - COMPRESSION SLEEVES. they have been miraculous and probably 90% of the reason I'm doing better. the lighter compression- zensah- you can also wear while working out (I don't, but I wear them as much as I can, including sometimes
    sleeping). this will seriously help with shin splints.
    - rehab exercises every day for my shin- you can google- things like walking on my heels

    I would ice right after if you feel significant pain, but I never ice unless very painful and very acute- my body really doesn't like it. I find that the above things, once a day every day, combined with keeping my muscles compressed and warm (sleeves and sweatpants) helped A LOT. also, those one-use overnight stick-on heat pads... my calves and shins were very tight in the beginning, so I used those a few times while sleeping on the problem areas, helped loosen eveything up.
  • tennisgirl444
    tennisgirl444 Posts: 57 Member
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    That being said, make sure you have good shoes.

    Also, running on the treadmill can make it difficult to have good running form. I'd highly recommend running outside.
  • captain_abigail
    captain_abigail Posts: 6 Member
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    When I started sprinting years ago, I got shin splints! They were so painful so I totally understand what you feel. I treated them with ice and stretching, but it didn't help me much. Only time helped. I took a bit easier on my workouts, did a good warm up, and when my muscles got used to running it went away. Now I never get them.
  • JessDetro
    JessDetro Posts: 6
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    try using an elliptical instead.... i have the exact same problem, and it also causes pain in my back when i walk outside or use the treadmill... but i have ZERO pain on the elliptical, and i feel like i get a better workout.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Could be your shoes - did you get a proper fitting for the right size and style?

    Could be your form or gain. Are you landing on the ball of your foot/mid foodt?

    Could just be the treadmill. I tend to get more pain running on the treadmill than outside. Try a slight incline.

    Make sure you're stretching really well after. Do not stretch before unless you're doing dynamic stretches.

    In the meantime, find something else to do for exercise to let that area rest and heal.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    and it also causes pain in my back when i walk outside or use the treadmill...

    That's a core strength issue, that reverting to the elliptical probably exacerbates.
  • rkrchck
    rkrchck Posts: 6
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    Thanks to everyone for their responses. Today i tried stretching then taking shorter strides on the treadmill and that really helped!

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