Shin pain - please help! (Read 62 times)

Hello!

i wondered if anyone could give me some advice please. I'm currently aiming to complete my first half marathon. It's not until October and I'm gradually building my run distance up. I am up to 8 miles and feel comfortable doing this. i am running mainly on the road and I have been to a run specialist (who is brilliant) and says my Nikes are ok, even though they don't really recommend Nike, and I'm a neutral runner. This was only on a treadmil for a few minutes and I feel my running changes after about a mile. I find I run my heel hits first and I run more on the outside of my foot. I've started to get a burning pain in specific areas on the outside of my shin and it just gets worse to the point it feels like pins and needles. It becomes very painful and could only manage a mile the other day - I was gutted.

I'm thinking of getting a foam roller - will this help and I think I need new shoes? I can't run on grass as I am trying to run on well lot roads at night.

Im stuck And feeling sad I'm not running at the moment.

I know a lot of advice says to use ice or various stretches and other funny remedies, but I've never done any of that; I've always just let it heal on its own. Granted I did ease up on my running/hiking, but didn't stop nor did I do any recuperative treatments. Some injuries can take a very long time to heal, but they heal, at least in my case.

I once heard a very accomplished speed hiker (forget his name) say that when he gets injured (barring a major injury of course) he has found he heals best when he works thru it, albeit at a reduced level of performance. And I've found the same to be true for me.

If it were me (< emphasis on that ) I would not stop running, rather I'd run less miles with less intensity. Say 2 miles a day at a comfortable pace.... or whatever... I'm not sure of your running experience.

I agree with the strengthening aspects of this injury. Considering you are trying to build mileage you need to maintain an improved amount of strength to inoculate you from these types of injuries. Not to say this is a solely strength based situation. But still I recommend toning back your runs and reducing pace while working to improve both calf and tibialis anterior (the muscle that runs along your Tibia aka shin) muscles strength and flexibility. Remember, a lot of running injuries are the result of an imbalance of one of these two things. if your calves are stronger than your TA muscle, your TA muscle will tell you. Likewise if you are more flexible in your calves it will again show up as tightness or pain in your TA muscle. Also consider running on the softer surfaces. I know you mentioned you are against it, but the softer surfaces make your legs work harder since the impulse of landing is lost upon contact whereas the impulse is returned to your legs on harder surfaces. making your muscles work more on soft ground will not only loosen them and strengthen them, but also make you faster on hard surfaces by regaining the impulse found on the roads.

 

I just want to add to my post what others have said about strength training. I've been doing it for years (longer than I've been running) and it's a crucial part of my physical fitness strategy. A lot of people do strength training as a rehab exercise (corrective maintenance); I perfer to do it as a preventative maintenance activity.

And then some of us don't do it at all.