Shin Pain, doc says not shin splints or stress fracture....so what is it??????

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oliversnh
oliversnh Posts: 15 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been jogging for 2 months now......this is completely new to me. I only started dieting and exercising just a month before that. I am now overweight, but am definitely out of shape. I have a desk job and spent the winter sitting and eating. The weight loss is ever soooooo slooooow, but my main concern is my shin pain. They burn and throb all the time.....go numb when jogging and then throb and burn again. I finally went to the doctor and they said its not shin splints and X-Ray showed no stress fracture. The pain is localized in front of shins about 4 to 6 inches above ankle. Honestly doc was no help at all.....rest, ice, ibuprofen...blah blah blah I would like to feel normal again. Since the doc doesn't seem too concerned I am thinking I just keep going, but how long before I get a second opinion?

Replies

  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    My guess would be to see a sports doc. Sounds like it still could be shin splints, especially if you are new to running.

    Have you Googled shin splints and the symptoms fit? If so, then treat it as such. Reign in your weekly miles, stretch, apply gentle pressure at the pain point then flex and extend your foot. That should break up the scar tissue and help it heal. Make sure you have proper shoes.

    Good luck. I actually had a PA go get a book to look up shin splints when I asked if that's what I was experiencing. No advice given.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    The muscles can sort of pull away from the bone, that needs hardcore rest for sure. I can't remember the name of the injury.

    Try a different doctor, certainly. Did he know how long they have hurt?

    If it is the shin splints, try switching to walking and see if that helps, once healed move very slowly back into jogging.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,404 Member
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    Rest and recover. Rolling out the muscles before and after your runs can help. It may just be that the muscles aren't trained for the amount of running you are doing. Take it slow.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Another vote for quitting jogging for a while. My go to's when injured are rowing, cycling, and swimming. Possibly the elliptical machine.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Get some compression socks. They have helped my husband and I tremendously with shin pain.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Stress fractures often don't up on x-rays. More on that here:
    runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/a-stress-fracture-primer

    Also see this video by a doctor/runner, who explains the different types of shin pain:
    runnersworld.com/injury-prevention-recovery/inside-doctors-office-keep-shinsplints-away
  • browneyes1520
    browneyes1520 Posts: 94 Member
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    I work in nuclear medicine and I can't even begin to tell you how many times people have had x-ray after x-ray after x-ray which have shown no bony abnormality despite them being in a substantial amount of pain. Then their doctor finally sends them to us for a bone scan and sure enough they have a fracture. Ask for a referral for a nuclear medicine bone scan if your x-rays keep coming up negative.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    I agree with the bone scan suggestions. Stress fractures do not show up in x Ray. And find a good physio who can help with suggestions on gait and strength and stretching tips. Mine had me slowely switch to barefoot shoes(vibrams)* after an assessment and a few treatments and I have not had problems since.

    *not saying to switch to barefoot shoes. Just giving an example of how a physio can help. And I transitioned over 2 whole years. I will never know if it is the form, the shoes, or the fact that I built up different supporting muscles, but that physio was worth his weight in gold!!
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
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    robininfl wrote: »
    The muscles can sort of pull away from the bone, that needs hardcore rest for sure. I can't remember the name of the injury.

    Try a different doctor, certainly. Did he know how long they have hurt?

    If it is the shin splints, try switching to walking and see if that helps, once healed move very slowly back into jogging.

    I had that injury where the muscle came away from the bone in my left shin, it forced me to take off over two months of running, not nice. That was caused by me running through the pain, thinking it would go away, so don't ever do that!
  • jgubdlach
    jgubdlach Posts: 19 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »
    My guess would be to see a sports doc. Sounds like it still could be shin splints, especially if you are new to running.

    Have you Googled shin splints and the symptoms fit? If so, then treat it as such. Reign in your weekly miles, stretch, apply gentle pressure at the pain point then flex and extend your foot. That should break up the scar tissue and help it heal. Make sure you have proper shoes.

    Good luck. I actually had a PA go get a book to look up shin splints when I asked if that's what I was experiencing. No advice given.

    Sounds like shin splints but you have never ran and have been running it could be as simple as that, or an overuse injury sometimes too much too fast is a bad thing regress, make sure you have good flexibility, range of motion as well. Try a foam roller as well. Proper warm up and could down procedures are very important. Start strength training a little bit too.

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