Shin Splints

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hncary
hncary Posts: 176 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm pretty sure I have shin splints. Any advice from those who have had them? How long did you have to rest before getting back into your workout routine? And is there anything a doctor can do for them aside from pain meds or will they pretty much just tell me to rest? We just moved and I'm looking for a new doctor, but I will go to an urgent care if I really need to in the meantime.

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    I had them when I started running and just worked through them. I think they lasted a couple of weeks.
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    I got my shin splints when I was a new runner trying to get to higher distances. I'd get them almost every time I'd run after about 3 miles. Ibuprofen for me worked ust fine, but I was hoping to try to prevent them as opposed to just treat them. What finally worked for me was just going into a running store and getting fitted for good shoes. I haven't had them since :-)
  • hncary
    hncary Posts: 176 Member
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    Did they feel like really bad cramps that radiate through your calves too? They make it hard for me to keep working out because my legs start shaking and my ankles and feet will go kind of numb. I've never had shin splints before so I'm just wondering if that is what they actually feel like or if this might be something else. I have quite a few pairs of running shoes and have been wearing a newer pair so maybe I'll switch back to some others that I never had problems with before
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Make sure you're not heel striking while you're running. That's the biggest culprit for shin splints from what I've found.
  • Looncove_Farm
    Looncove_Farm Posts: 115 Member
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    When I had an issue with shin splints I didnt stop working out, I just stoppped working out as hard. I started walking and sometimes it was a slow slow walk but I kept at it and within a week or so they stopped happening and its been good since.
  • marmaladepixie
    marmaladepixie Posts: 83 Member
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    i used to get pain like that on occasion, mostly starting as calves cramping up, then aching down the outer edge of my lower leg to my ankle, then feet would get numb. iIt was eventually diagnosed as peroneal tendonitis. Are your calves really tight? How is your range of motion in your ankles? I find that if i stretch really well, and use a foam roller or lacrosse ball on the tight spots, it stops the cramping and numbness. rest, stretching, ice, and voltaren gel helped mine. I also take my laces out of the top most holes so my ankles have a bit more room. If you can, check out the book becoming a supple leopard book.... very helpful for me
  • hncary
    hncary Posts: 176 Member
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    marmaladepixie wrote: »
    i used to get pain like that on occasion, mostly starting as calves cramping up, then aching down the outer edge of my lower leg to my ankle, then feet would get numb. iIt was eventually diagnosed as peroneal tendonitis. Are your calves really tight? How is your range of motion in your ankles? I find that if i stretch really well, and use a foam roller or lacrosse ball on the tight spots, it stops the cramping and numbness. rest, stretching, ice, and voltaren gel helped mine. I also take my laces out of the top most holes so my ankles have a bit more room. If you can, check out the book becoming a supple leopard book.... very helpful for me

    That does sound similar to what I feel, but also in the front on my shins as well. Its basically my entire lower leg and yes, my calves feel super tight and cramped up. I haven't noticed any problems with my ankles though. The pain is pretty bad though that its even hard to walk and for about an hour or so after (sometimes longer) they continue to hurt exactly like they did when I was working out.

    I appreciate everyone's suggestions and will definitely try them out.
  • geotrice
    geotrice Posts: 274 Member
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    Shin splints feel like the shin bone is being stabbed or splintering. Its typically in the inner front of your leg like on the bone. It's an intense sharp, acute pain. If it's in your calves it may be splint related but it could just be a muscle cramp. Rest cures splits. The more aggravated, the longer it takes to heal, in my experience. Better running shoes and working on your running form (how your feet hit the ground with each step) will help prevent them. But they happen to everyone at some point.
  • lairdmk
    lairdmk Posts: 5 Member
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    I think you just have to rest and give your legs/feet a break for a few days. Also, you might look in to getting different shoes. There are some shoe stores that can scan your feet and recommend the best shoe style for your step style.
  • bsmcdonald0513
    bsmcdonald0513 Posts: 15 Member
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hCfnuSdmk8

    These stretches have worked well for me.
  • runmama411
    runmama411 Posts: 162 Member
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    Ice, ibuprofen, compression socks, and KT tape. All these things will help your shin splints. Then, have your shoes fitted at a running shop-they will watch your stride to see if you are pronating or if they see supination. Proper shoes are essential. Another cause can be too fast of a ramp up in running without proper conditioning. Hope they heal quick, they hurt!
  • LuckyMe2017
    LuckyMe2017 Posts: 454 Member
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    I started walking/jogging 8-10 miles a week the beginning of the year. I had very bad pain in the beginning. I got fitted for shoes that gave some relief but found that my memory foam shoes (not the ones I got fitted for) on a giving surface (gravel/dirt or "rubber" indoor track) worked best.
    Good luck!
  • mariel918
    mariel918 Posts: 10 Member
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    I used to get them from running indoors or on concert vs asphalt. I recommend getting dixie cups and putting water in them and freezing them. Once a day or after exercising I would rub then along my chins and peel back the cup as it melted.

    Usually helped alleviate the pain. I'd definitely recommend switching up your routine if you can to let your legs rest so so they can heal. Hope they heal quickly!

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    hncary wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure I have shin splints. Any advice from those who have had them? How long did you have to rest before getting back into your workout routine? And is there anything a doctor can do for them aside from pain meds or will they pretty much just tell me to rest? We just moved and I'm looking for a new doctor, but I will go to an urgent care if I really need to in the meantime.

    If you're running, go get fitted for food running shoes. If you're doing any other kind of exercise, go get fitted for good exercise shoes. Here, we have Fleet Feet, Heart and Sole, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

    Also, be sure to stretch before and after workouts.

    If the pain in your shins are so bad you need to go to urgent care, then I would wonder if something else is going on.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    hncary wrote: »
    Did they feel like really bad cramps that radiate through your calves too? They make it hard for me to keep working out because my legs start shaking and my ankles and feet will go kind of numb. I've never had shin splints before so I'm just wondering if that is what they actually feel like or if this might be something else. I have quite a few pairs of running shoes and have been wearing a newer pair so maybe I'll switch back to some others that I never had problems with before

    No, that does sound like shin splints. I'm an avid runner, have been for years, and mine never felt like that and my legs never started shaking or started going numb. Please see your doctor.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    marmaladepixie wrote: »
    i used to get pain like that on occasion, mostly starting as calves cramping up, then aching down the outer edge of my lower leg to my ankle, then feet would get numb. iIt was eventually diagnosed as peroneal tendonitis. Are your calves really tight? How is your range of motion in your ankles? I find that if i stretch really well, and use a foam roller or lacrosse ball on the tight spots, it stops the cramping and numbness. rest, stretching, ice, and voltaren gel helped mine. I also take my laces out of the top most holes so my ankles have a bit more room. If you can, check out the book becoming a supple leopard book.... very helpful for me

    There you go.

    Stretching is very important, as is warming up and cooling down.

    @hncary, if you have a mat and foam roller at the gym, or if you can buy one from a sporting store, try rolling your calves and hamstrings before and after working out. Here's what I'm talking about:

    Calf-Foam-Roller-e1299023135796.jpg

    foam-roller-calf-exercise.jpg





  • hncary
    hncary Posts: 176 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am going to take a little break from running for a while and get some new shoes and the foam roller. This all started a week and a half ago or so and I took a whole week off in attempt to heal, but that either wasn't enough or something else is wrong. The pain is definitely strong. I was able to workout with it for a little bit yesterday, but ultimately it did get so bad that it was too painful to continue (and I usually have a pretty high tolerance for things like that). I think I will try to find a doctor to look at it just to be safe because from what some have said on this thread I'm not sure if its even shin splints or not. I will be trying all of the suggestions here though and will hopefully be back to running soon.
  • runner_girl83
    runner_girl83 Posts: 553 Member
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    I find with shin splints, I can't take part in any other exercises that involve putting too much pressure on the leg/s that are inflamed. Jumping, skipping, ski jumps etc are all out of the question, as is any exercise that puts too much pressure on the inside of my leg (sometimes lunges, depending on where the pain is really) so I stick to push ups, sit ups and walking (as long as the shins aren't too sore). They are a nightmare! The only way I get rid of them is to have physio, rest for about a week and then start running from scratch again .. start at 1km etc and build up slowly. I recently made the mistake of upping mileage too fast, from 2km to 4km and have since had it flare up in one leg again. Grrr.. My own fault for not going slow :) But we all love running so... Ice, foam roller/massage and a compression sleeve during the day help with recovery.

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