We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Shin Splints?

ladyofivy
ladyofivy Posts: 648
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering if anyone could tell me a bit about shin splints. Whenever I start walking for exercise, my shins always hurts. They hurt on either side of the bone. But I'm not sure if this is just simple muscle pain from working out, or if it's shin splints.

I've been using the treadmill for up to 30 minutes at 3.5 mph, and I just started this week. How do I know if this is normal or not?

Also, if it is (or might be) shin splints, what should I do now, and if not, how do I prevent this from happening?

Thank you!

Replies

  • ladyofivy
    ladyofivy Posts: 648
    I was wondering if anyone could tell me a bit about shin splints. Whenever I start walking for exercise, my shins always hurts. They hurt on either side of the bone. But I'm not sure if this is just simple muscle pain from working out, or if it's shin splints.

    I've been using the treadmill for up to 30 minutes at 3.5 mph, and I just started this week. How do I know if this is normal or not?

    Also, if it is (or might be) shin splints, what should I do now, and if not, how do I prevent this from happening?

    Thank you!
  • sjane512
    sjane512 Posts: 4
    I had similar pain when I first started. I wasn't sure if it was shin splints, but I was told to increase the incline (2-4%), and I took the speed down slightly. For some reason the slight angle aleviates some of the pressure. It did work, and now I can go faster without the pain.
  • jlauren6
    jlauren6 Posts: 209
    I used to have the same pain when I first started running. For me, my body just needed to get used to that type of exercise. I don't know if my form corrected itself or what, but I no longer get shin splints when I run. Just make sure your stretching before and after, and hopefully you won't have that pain anymore.
  • Rachael
    Rachael Posts: 168 Member
    Sounds like shin splints to me :-) They're caused from direct, blunt impact against your lower legs. Think of the way you land when you jump, run, etc. Anytime your feet hit the ground at a hard, blunt angle, you're impacting your lower leg...which is why the increase in incline worked for the other poster (sorry, I can't remember your name!) She decreased the degree at which her foot hit the surface which lessened the impact on her lower leg. Fortunately, for most of us shin splints lessen over time and as we lose weight (unless you're doing an activity like gymnastics or pole vaulting or something like that). Hope it gets better soon!
  • ladyofivy
    ladyofivy Posts: 648
    Thank you so much everyone. :smile: Now I have two possibilities... wait it out or increase the incline slightly. Awesome! :happy:
  • pettmybunny
    pettmybunny Posts: 1,986 Member
    Yup, increase the incline. It should help.

    If you do a search for shin splints, there's also stretches and strengthening moves that will help too.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    Do you have flat feet or low arches??

    Shin splints or Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome is an irritation of the attachments of the muscles next to your tibia (shin).

    You can do an ice massage to the area that will help A LOT.

    Take a dixie cup and fill it with water and put in the freezer. When it's a giant chunk of ice wrap a wash cloth around the end you're going to hold and rub the other end up and down your shin for 5-7min each.

    Do this everytime you are down working out and it will help them go away.

    You can also take some advil/motrin/aleve to help reduce the pain.

    PREVENTION TIPS
    Make sure your shoes fit correctly & have good arch support
    Check your biomechanics and your alignment on how you're walking
    Decrease the incline, start out more slowly.

    It's your bodies way of saying you're starting out with too much.

    Hope that helps!:bigsmile:
This discussion has been closed.

Categories