Shin splints!

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littled1986
littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone have experience with shin splints? How do you avoid and treat them?

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  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    I've found my shin splints are from overtraining and a general lack of flexibility. Ice them after every run whether they're sore or not. Build miles slowly. Any flexibility improvements in the spine and hip will help and can be assisted through regular stretching and yoga.
  • IFBBRich
    IFBBRich Posts: 99 Member
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    I had this problem for a long time when I would run. I had to strengthen my calf muscles to support me more for running and it seemed to help. There is other things too like your shoes that can play a role in it too
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    I just started jogging again, and I'm taking it slow because I've had shin splints before and I know how painful they are. This morning I have a slight pain in my right shin and I know this could be the start of worse pain later on. I have wonderful running shoes with the right kind of support for my feet and stride. But I guess I should focus on strengthening my legs and keep taking it slow for a while?
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
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    littled1986 wrote: »
    Does anyone have experience with shin splints? How do you avoid and treat them?

    Proper fitted shoes
    Drink more water
    slow down
    Stretch before and after running
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    I got them from a growing spurt between the age of 15-16. It took about a year to heal in terms of being able to exercise confidently again. Absolute excruciating pain at the time. I went to bed fine, woke up the next day in agony and had to limp to the hospital. I had physio which was painful and iced it every day. It's bloody agony. I was a 100m, 200m sprinter at the time, but now I can happily run for 10 miles in a cardio session and have never had any reoccurring problems.
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    JohnBarth wrote: »
    I've found my shin splints are from overtraining and a general lack of flexibility. Ice them after every run whether they're sore or not. Build miles slowly. Any flexibility improvements in the spine and hip will help and can be assisted through regular stretching and yoga.

    This is great advice, thank you! I'll ice it as soon as I get home. I never thought it had anything to do with flexibility, but I know how important it is to stretch so I guess that kind of goes hand in hand.

    Proper fitted shoes
    Drink more water
    slow down
    Stretch before and after running
    [/quote]

    I always stretch before running, but usually not after. I will do that from now on. Thank you!
  • Michael_Smerbeck
    Michael_Smerbeck Posts: 13 Member
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    I had shin splints for the longest time, so the point where I hated running. Something as simple as good shoes makes it better. They are expensive, but the first time I wore them and ran, such a relief. No shin discomfort at all.
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    slideaway1 wrote: »
    I got them from a growing spurt between the age of 15-16. It took about a year to heal in terms of being able to exercise confidently again. Absolute excruciating pain at the time. I went to bed fine, woke up the next day in agony and had to limp to the hospital. I had physio which was painful and iced it every day. It's bloody agony. I was a 100m, 200m sprinter at the time, but now I can happily run for 10 miles in a cardio session and have never had any reoccurring problems.

    Wow that sounds horrible! I'm glad you're feeling better. The last time I had shin splints they lasted a few months and I swore off running... Then I got fat so that was not the best plan. Lol
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    I
    littled1986 wrote: »
    Does anyone have experience with shin splints? How do you avoid and treat them?

    I'm right there with you. Mine are a bit sore at the moment. If you just started a program it's going to take some time for the muscles in your legs to get used to the work. You can help them out by exercising the muscles. Drawing the alphabet letters in the air with your feet a couple times a day is one example.

    Try to get some good stretching time in for your calves at least once a day.

    Ice your shins with a cold pack for 5 - 10 minutes after you run. That helps a lot.

    I don't think general soreness in the shin is a big issue during the day but if you're feeling it during your workouts you should cut back or stop if they're really bad and give them time to heal.

    Since you've already mentioned shoes I skimmed past that but bad or worn out shoes can give you shin splints.
  • djasper73
    djasper73 Posts: 18 Member
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    Something I was told helps is to lay a towel out flat on the floor in front of where you are sitting, then with bare feet place your toes at the edge of the towel and pull it towards you using your toes. Keep doing this until you've got the towel all scrunched up. Repeat as necessary. Don't know if it helps, but I remember someone telling me that....
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    djasper73 wrote: »
    Something I was told helps is to lay a towel out flat on the floor in front of where you are sitting, then with bare feet place your toes at the edge of the towel and pull it towards you using your toes. Keep doing this until you've got the towel all scrunched up. Repeat as necessary. Don't know if it helps, but I remember someone telling me that....

    I'm at work so I don't have a towel, but I just tried the motion of scrunching up a towel. I don't know if this will help with shin splints but it flexed my calf muscle and I thought "dang my calf look good!" lol
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    Oh year, Everybody else's experiences have just reminded me of an exercise that helped. As other have said, icing and strengthening the calf muscles helps. I remember doing calf raises on the stairs. Just go to the bottom stair and put your toes on the edge so that your heel hangs over the end. Use the Banister etc for support and raise up and down 20 times or so for a few sets. I wouldn't wish shin splints on my worst enemy. good luck.
  • JeanMBK
    JeanMBK Posts: 728 Member
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    I wear compression sleeves and they have helped me with shin splints.
  • RonRoff
    RonRoff Posts: 175 Member
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    Treating Shin Splints is only possible with surgery, however having proper shoes and a proper way of running, can reduce the pain or, like with me, completely remove the pain. I run on asics (brand), and had physiotherapy to analyze and improve my running posture in the army. After about 6 months, i was able to run properly without pain.
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Oh year, Everybody else's experiences have just reminded me of an exercise that helped. As other have said, icing and strengthening the calf muscles helps. I remember doing calf raises on the stairs. Just go to the bottom stair and put your toes on the edge so that your heel hangs over the end. Use the Banister etc for support and raise up and down 20 times or so for a few sets. I wouldn't wish shin splints on my worst enemy. good luck.

    I'm going to try this. Does it matter when you do this? Before or after running or just as part of your workout?
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I got them when I started running. I think mine were from running only on hills as a beginner. It wasn't intentional, I just live in a super hilly area. When I switched to treadmill for the winter they totally went away. I use the hill program on the treadmill, but those treadmill hills have nothing on the hills in my neighborhood.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Could be from shoes, but most likely running too much, too soon. Or trying to go too fast. Takes a while for the body to get used to it. Start slow, real slow. Build up over a long period of time. Slam the water and a little strength work for the calfs/legs could help.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
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    littled1986 wrote: »
    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Oh year, Everybody else's experiences have just reminded me of an exercise that helped. As other have said, icing and strengthening the calf muscles helps. I remember doing calf raises on the stairs. Just go to the bottom stair and put your toes on the edge so that your heel hangs over the end. Use the Banister etc for support and raise up and down 20 times or so for a few sets. I wouldn't wish shin splints on my worst enemy. good luck.

    I'm going to try this. Does it matter when you do this? Before or after running or just as part of your workout?

    Anytime really. I could hardly walk for the first few months when I had them (teenage growing spurt), so I could not run anyway. I had them in both legs. The Physio told me to do them at home between icing sessions. I used to do about 3 sets of 20 Morning, afternoon and evening. During the physio session he would purposely strip all of the muscle fibres along the shin bone with his fingers to break them down and inflame them (painful!) and then I would ice them at home with a towel and a bag of peas to reduce the internal swelling. There is a good video on Youtube about them.
  • seric2000
    seric2000 Posts: 14 Member
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    What helped me was icing them after every run and stretching my shins as soon as I;m done running. Step back with one foot, toes down, and pull gently to stretch the shin. When I started doing this, the shin splints never came back.
  • littled1986
    littled1986 Posts: 101 Member
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    Thanks everyone! This has been very helpful. You guys are awesome :)

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