Shin Splints!! HELP!

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dmaz99
dmaz99 Posts: 18
in Fitness and Exercise
Can anybody please help me?!?! I would like to know if there is any way to help get rid of shin splints? I do not live in a town where there is a good walking trail so I am forced to walk on pavement and uneven roads. My right shin is killing me EVERY time I run or walk at a good pace.
I drink lots of water and I stretch before and after so is there something I am missing here???
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  • dmaz99
    dmaz99 Posts: 18
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    ALso.. How is everyone posting their pics on here???? lol!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Can anybody please help me?!?! I would like to know if there is any way to help get rid of shin splints? I do not live in a town where there is a good walking trail so I am forced to walk on pavement and uneven roads. My right shin is killing me EVERY time I run or walk at a good pace.
    I drink lots of water and I stretch before and after so is there something I am missing here???

    It could be the shoes you are wearing. Have you been fitted? I was getting a lot of knee and shin pain when running and then I got fitted and found out that I under-pronate. I got shoes to correct that and haven't had any problems since.
  • Sox90716
    Sox90716 Posts: 976 Member
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    Can anybody please help me?!?! I would like to know if there is any way to help get rid of shin splints? I do not live in a town where there is a good walking trail so I am forced to walk on pavement and uneven roads. My right shin is killing me EVERY time I run or walk at a good pace.
    I drink lots of water and I stretch before and after so is there something I am missing here???

    It may be your shoes. Are they worn out?
  • lacewitch
    lacewitch Posts: 766 Member
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    I would wrap and ice them.
    think about different shoes! look at how you are ruining walking. I find
    1. if i stride out when i am running and heel strike it gives me shin splints or
    2. if I speed walk and land heavily on my feet I get shin splints
    so I have to really focus on landing softly whether i am walking or running so that I am absorbing the impact and not jarring myself and my shin splints went away
    as soon as i start striding somewhere in a hurry on pavement with poor technique ( landings) I get them again!
    hope this helps

    take it easy too. they get worse easily
    LW
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    I agree with the shoes. I have very high arches, and there are very few running shoes that give me the amount of support I need.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Check your shoes (500 miles or not the right shoes for your stride), speed (you may need to slow down) and stride (you may need to change your stride heel strike, mid foot, forefoot).
  • PitBullMom_Liz
    PitBullMom_Liz Posts: 339 Member
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    Shoes or how you walk/run. If you are slamming your heel down first you're going to have more issues than if you have a mid-foot strike.
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
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    I would wrap and ice them.
    think about different shoes! look at how you are ruining walking. I find
    1. if i stride out when i am running and heel strike it gives me shin splints or
    2. if I speed walk and land heavily on my feet I get shin splints
    so I have to really focus on landing softly whether i am walking or running so that I am absorbing the impact and not jarring myself and my shin splints went away
    as soon as i start striding somewhere in a hurry on pavement with poor technique ( landings) I get them again!
    hope this helps

    take it easy too. they get worse easily
    LW

    I agree. Take a few days off until the pain goes away, and in the mean time check out your shoes and your stride.

    Some days after a jog, I feel like I can barely walk. I usually take some ibuprofen to help the ache, take a hot shower and then blast my legs with cold water at the end (kind of like icing) and then I rub icyhot all over my knees and calves. It definitely helps take the edge off, but you need to take it really slow to train your body to do this hard work.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkUqkdPQHis
    I found this video helpful in explaining heel strike and how to avoid it.
  • Bellabang
    Bellabang Posts: 7
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    I used to get them really badly, but I had to adjust how I ran. I was landing more on my toes than my heels. I had to re-teach myself how to run heel-toe. Just a thought.
  • sgarrard01
    sgarrard01 Posts: 213 Member
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    Go to a decent orthopedic doctor/surgeon! there usually caused by an underlying condition like a minor tear, fracture or uneven muscle toning, which can be resolved, sometimes thay are unfortunately perminant, but until you go you wont know!
  • dmaz99
    dmaz99 Posts: 18
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    Thanks for all the advice everyone! I have flat wide feet and shorter legs so I tend to walk in small strides but my sneakers could be the problem. I am going to see about a new pair today, I have cross runners but maybe I should be wearing runners??? I do ALOT of fast paced walking more than the running just because of the pain.

    Teehee! I laugh at myself through the pain though because when I imagine myself walking I imagine I look kinda silly to others. Oh and I just found a track I can use whenever I wish at our local highschool. Ya!!!

    Thanks ya'll you have been very helpful! :) xoxo
  • kturner2012
    kturner2012 Posts: 15
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    My husband and I have been doing CrossFit and he was cursed with a terrible case of shin splints. One of our trainers rolled a lacross ball in the arch of his foot, loosening the muscles and tendons that were pulling on his shins. He immediately felt better. The trainer suggested doing this morning and night for a few nights and he hasn't had any problems since then.
  • cupldsgal
    cupldsgal Posts: 4 Member
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    One more option that the physical therapist told me about...When i am in the bathroom drying my hair...upside down of course!. Do toe raises. Feet apart and just lift your toes off the ground repeatedly. You can even do these sitting on the couch at night watching tv. It builds the muscle in your shin to help support you while walking! Shoes are the main idea though. These just help me when i have really gone overboard with my walking trail!
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I came across this today and immediately thought of this thread.

    http://gizmodo.com/5902699/banish-shin-splints-forever-with-one-magical-exercise
  • dmaz99
    dmaz99 Posts: 18
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    COOL!!! Thanks so much!
  • basillowe66
    basillowe66 Posts: 432 Member
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    Hi, You can overcome shin splints. Walk more and warm up you legs good. try running slow for a few days and not too far. if its shin plints they will go away!

    Basil

    Let me know how you are doing!! Best of luck!!
  • Prudiddy
    Prudiddy Posts: 262 Member
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    I jump rope just about every day, I know what you mean. I stopped doing it in the mornings because I found out it was killing me to walk all day on the splints. I started doing it in the evenings right before bed so I could recover throughout the night. I don't feel the pain the next day. I haven't found anything to get rid of them, and I refuse not to keep jumping, So maybe you can try talking to the doctor about it. Or use ice like I do when it gets bad. Hope this helps.
  • goforit06
    goforit06 Posts: 132 Member
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    Our trainer said sometimes its either the shoes, stretching , or your stride as you walk or run. You should length your stride to see if it helps.
  • SDormer91
    SDormer91 Posts: 16
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    I would definitely get this checked out - I thought I had shin splints but my podiatrist asked me lots of questions and then sent me to a sports doctor and I found out that I actually have (had now) compartment syndrome. My pain felt like a squeezing feeling in my legs and built up while I was exercising but then it went away when I stopped exercising. Shin splint pain, as I was told, is meant to build up after exercise.
  • Minkyboodle86
    Minkyboodle86 Posts: 27 Member
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    Get fitted for new running shoes @ a running store. Runnersworld.com also has a tool to help you find the right shoes. I live in the city and was running/ walking with a less than new pair of ...well what I considered "running shoes"..and my legs were killing me. Once I got fitted and bought new shoes the pain immeditaly stopped and has not returned. Best investment towards a healthy lifestyle I've ever made.

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