Shin Splints!!

What's works for you and treating your shin splints?
I know it's different for everyone and it all depends. But I'm suffering with shin splints and I'm reading up on em! I'm curious to know what works for y'all!
Thanks :)

Replies

  • Jojobeaners
    Jojobeaners Posts: 1 Member
    Ice, stretch, and Yoga. I'm very new to yoga and while I can't do all the poses correctly, I do try. It will take time for your shin splints to heal but keep moving through. Just don't push too much or you can do more damage. Today, I will run as best as I can but tomorrow I will walk and work on my arms to give my shins a rest. Sometimes I have to ice a few times throughout the day.
  • tracylp6178
    tracylp6178 Posts: 70 Member
    Dr Scholls make a shoe insert for shin splints. They work reall good for me!
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Heat, compression sleeves/socks, a handful of Advil, and power through.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    Decent supportive footwear, stretching and building speed/duration up slowly.
  • maura_tasi
    maura_tasi Posts: 196 Member
    How are your gym shoes? I had to eventually get fitted for proper shoes because my shin splints were so bad. I have a high arch and the standard shoes just weren't working for me and caused horrible pain. They were costly but in my opinion worth every penny. In the mean time ice and a lot of stretching helps. In my case I actually couldn't run for extended periods of time because of the pain. Also are you working out on hard surfaces (outside in a park, etc.)? My doctor told me that the impact of my feet hitting a hard surface was making my shin splints worse. He recommended working out in a soft trail or at a gym where the equipment doesn't have that hard if a surface
  • gracepostie
    gracepostie Posts: 26 Member

    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures

    Are you new to running?
  • 1houndgal
    1houndgal Posts: 558 Member
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures

    The cardio bikes at the gym are good also. And on sore days, the recumbent elliptical and recumbent bikes are worth a try.
  • LeGaCyGiAnT91
    LeGaCyGiAnT91 Posts: 405 Member
    Stretch, stretch, stretch! Take a few minutes and really stretch out, and then start slow... It definitely helps.
  • havs23
    havs23 Posts: 68 Member
    Cross training, strengthening exercises (like calf raises) to help all the muscles in your lower leg, and lots of rest. There's no real "treatment" for them unfortunately, but I agree with all the suggestions above (that's what I do to treat mine) - good running shoes professionally fitted, orthotics in your normal shoes if you can to help prevent from worsening the situation when you aren't running, and try taking advil before you run rather than after to keep inflammation down. Also ice packs and stretch right after a run. Take a little time off from running if they're really bad, and always ease into running regimens since shin splints are also often caused by training too hard too fast. Also run on softer surfaces (grass) rather than asphalt/treadmills/hard tracks if you can!

    Sorry if that's a little rambly! Hope that helps! Shin splints are the absolute worst :(
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I used to have terrible shin splints.

    3. Make sure that your runners are properly fitted - this was a big deal for me. As soon as I invested in new shoes it lessened the pain;

    If you are running, getting proper shoes will make a world of difference to shin splints. Have a gait analysis done and get the shoes that will support your foot properly.

    I did this and it made a world of difference. The only time I get shin splints now is if I try to run in the wrong shoes. The pain was keeping me from running.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,069 Member
    Good shoes, stretching, and I don't do a lot of running (well, no running anymore - physically can't now).
  • 1beetleboy
    1beetleboy Posts: 19 Member
    Self massage get a decent oil of coco butter run your fingers the length of your shim and concentrate on getting your thumb into the ridge along the shin bone it works best when you are warmed up.
  • gracepostie
    gracepostie Posts: 26 Member
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures

    Are you new to running?

    Yeah I'm new to running!! I usually would use the elliptical or bike for cardio. I wanted to start jogging to get my heart rate up and try new stuff.
  • gracepostie
    gracepostie Posts: 26 Member
    I used to have terrible shin splints.

    3. Make sure that your runners are properly fitted - this was a big deal for me. As soon as I invested in new shoes it lessened the pain;

    If you are running, getting proper shoes will make a world of difference to shin splints. Have a gait analysis done and get the shoes that will support your foot properly.

    I did this and it made a world of difference. The only time I get shin splints now is if I try to run in the wrong shoes. The pain was keeping me from running.
    Deffff going to be looking into proper shoes! And orthopedics
  • bandb678
    bandb678 Posts: 104 Member
    Shin splints are a catch all phrase for hurting below the knee. Sometimes it can be too much too soon, soft to hard surfaces, etc. Many times it can be your shoes. Go to a good running store and have a gait analysis done and then get the correct pair of shoes.
    I work for such a store in Canada and that is what we do. You also have some inflammation so put your feet up and ice your shins with a frozen bag of veggies you do not like. I keep a bag of Lima beans in my freezer just for icing.
  • ericansweeney
    ericansweeney Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures
    What's works for you and treating your shin splints?
    I know it's different for everyone and it all depends. But I'm suffering with shin splints and I'm reading up on em! I'm curious to know what works for y'all!
    Thanks :)
    What's works for you and treating your shin splints?
    I know it's different for everyone and it all depends. But I'm suffering with shin splints and I'm reading up on em! I'm curious to know what works for y'all!
    Thanks :)



    Lots of potassium! Also, lay on your back and raise your leg one at a time and write out the alphabet using just your foot and ankle. I’ve been getting really bad shin splints and this is the only thing that seems to alleviate it enough for me to keep going
  • HikesColorado
    HikesColorado Posts: 1 Member
    Shin splints were killing me! I had my gait analyzed and got fitted for shoes, got shoe inserts from a podiatrist, went to physical therapy, stretched, ran slow, pushed through, didn't push and rested more. I took a running class where we trained in the gym a few times a week, did a couple of short runs on our own, and did a "long" run on weekends. I learned to freeze Dixie cups of water and iced my shins after every run. The final straw was when Mom was visiting and saw me icing after every run and suggested that maybe there was something else I could do. As much as I hate to admit defeat, I've decided I'm not a runner!
  • ericansweeney
    ericansweeney Posts: 3 Member
    ^^ what the heck happened with the quoting system there :D
    My phone or the app freaked out and I didn’t know how to edit
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    Thanks guys!! But like even now, day after a workout. I'm laying in bed and my shins are throbbing a little and if I put any pressure on them, it hurts!
    I think I will deff go back to the elliptical. Haha I'm not made for running!!! And I don't want to give myself full on stress fractures

    Are you new to running?

    Yeah I'm new to running!! I usually would use the elliptical or bike for cardio. I wanted to start jogging to get my heart rate up and try new stuff.

    You probably just need to slow down a bit until your legs adjust to being on normal pavement, maybe start with some intervals, walking for a couple of mins then jogging then back to walking or use the C25K app which is pretty popular for starting or getting back into jogging/running.