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Shin Splints (I think?) Help! (Read 91 times)

corylynn22


    For the past couple of years I've dealt with shin splints...or so I think.  I'll give you a brief description of myself and symptoms (so I wont bore you with long paragraphs) to see if anyone else is having the same problems I have and if anyone has any tips to make it better.

     

    Condition:

    -Have fallen arches/flat feet.

    -Like most folks with flat feet, I over pronate.

    -Ran quite a bit about 8 years ago.  Nagging injuries creeped up (knee/ achillies tendonitis)  switched to more weight lifting and am about 50 lbs heavier than I was in my prime.

     

    Symptoms:

    -All is fine an dandy for the first 6-8 minutes, then slowly but surely shin splints start up after that.  After about 10 minutes it becomes pretty painful to run.

    -Once I stop, after about 10 minutes I'm basically fine and can walk around without any symptoms of having shin splints.

    -The area of my shins that inflame are the lower anterior side, so right above the ankle.

    -Worse on left foot than right.

    - Shoes are basic cushioned ASCIS, only been active in them for 3-4 months.

     

    What I've tried:

    -Properly warming up and stretching

    -Foam Roller

    -Compression sleeves (seemed to have made symptoms worsen quicker)

    -Orthotics with arch support (more for walking)

    -Sports related orthotics  "Hot Shots" (better arch support but still not enough)

    -CUSTOM made orthotics (450 bucks for pretty much no help; great for walking though) CURRENTLY running in these.

    -Exercises to strengthen lower leg muscle groups

    -RICE

    -Ibuprofen (actually seems to help while running when I do mud/obstacle runs but don't want to have to depend on that.

    -Watched, studied and made sure I'm landing on my mid foot for proper running form.

     

    So there that and my conditions.  Anyone have any advice on what to do or some tips to help?  Anyone ever been through similar shin splints and where I'm having pain at?  Thanks in advance for any help.

     

    Cory


    some call me Tim

      There's gonna be somebody that gives you a better response than I do, but I've got a few thoughts.

       

      For one, I've got flat feet, and stability shoes and insoles have caused me more harm than good. I will not use that crap anymore. I'm not a minimalist, I just don't run in shoes that have an agenda. Granted,  I have never had custom orthotics made. I run, my arches get tight, and I regularly use a lacrosse ball to work on the tissues in my arch (and on the underside of my foot, and my ankle). A foam roller is not gonna do anything for those tissues. And I'm not sure how feasible this is for you, but I wonder what kind of problems might crop up (or not) if you tried running barefoot. Again, I'm stressing I don't advocate barefoot running as a 'thing', I'm just saying if you could find a way to take *any* kind of shoe out of the equation just for testing purposes, you might learn something about your problem. Troubleshoot. I see a lot of that in your approach already.

      Gator eye


        Sounds like you have most of the bases covered the only thing I could add is if I could deal with the pain for the first mile or so my shin splint pain went away as I ran and came back with with a vengeance when I started walking again. Maybe you have other things going on.

        Sjpcollins


          Shin splints are an overuse injury which can be caused by a sudden increase in training volume or running in worn out trainers. A new pair of trainers and a little rest should clear them up.

            what kind of surfaces do you run on & do you run basically the same routes on those surfaces on daily basis?  Are you able to run on softer paths or trails?   I like running trails on a somewhat regular basis & when any kind of discomfort starts creeping up I make a point of getting out on the trails even more. ALWAYS helps me. If you mostly run on hard surfaces (sidewalks/pavement)  make sure you  run on even surfaces as much as possible.   Obviously trails/paths can  be uneven but much softer & forgiving (and more fun!).

              You might not have shin splints.

               

              I'm not a doctor, nor the most experienced runner, but shin splints is more a muscle pain in the shin.  Feels like bone, but it is muscle.  If bone, it is some other problem (possibly worse, like a stress fracture).  The thing that makes me think you might not have shin splints is from your description I don't get the sense of them going away during a run, and coming back after the run is over, and coming back the next morning while trying to walk, and especially coming back when starting that next run, but going away during the run.

               

              I had shin splints years ago when I ran track in HS.  And I started to get them again when I picked up running as an old fat guy.  Both cases, 30 years apart, involved pain at the beginning of a run, but then when things get loose there is no pain during most the run.  But afterwards, things start to tighten up again.  The morning after, trying to walk, can feel the pain.  Starting a run the next day, can feel the pain, can feel a lot of it, and want to stop running.  But after starting a run, getting going, keeping going through the pain and focusing on other things, the pain starts to go away during the run.  But after the run, things stiffen up and the pain comes back.  Progressively, this cycle gets worse over days or weeks, until well needed rest and several days or weeks off interrupts it.  But starting up running weeks later, and the cycle can begin again.  An entire off-season cures it.  I played entire seasons of soccer with no pain at all.  Track and dedicated running on the harder surfaces (such as a track or roads) brought it on.

               

              When I decided to start running again in September, the old friend of shin splints came back.  I had an aborted attempt of running a couple years earlier and the shin splints came back then too.  But this time, I decided to be different.  I was going to lose weight and take it easy, real easy on my runs, and stay on grass.  My theory was that my old track days were too much too soon, by aggressive coaches.  Plus I was doing hurdles, which added extra pressure on my shins.  Soccer playin on grass was fine for me, and did not involve the same brutal repetitive pounding of shins on a track.  Old fat man trying to run again was overweight and thus too much pounding on the shins, so it would come back.  But if the old fat man got wise and lost weight first, then ran, and took it easy, and stayed on grass for a while, maybe the battle could be won against shin splints.

               

              The old fat man also decided to stretch the shins a lot, all day long.  Even driving, consciously stretch the left while the right was working the pedal.  I've lost 50 pounds since I started, and only a couple times early on were shin splints a hint of returning (but they didn't).  Since December, I don't think I've had any shin pains at all.  And I've done a couple 5k's on the road, and run a couple times a week on the road, with the other days on trails.  I think I could probably run all the time on the road now and not have shin splints, because I've lost weight, and because I've gradually been putting on the miles.

               

              I cannot overstate GRADUALLY enough.  Go slow, give your body time to adjust.  Run lightly, and/or favor soft surfaces, losing weight if needed.  Add miles very slowly over time.   In a common sense kind of way, I think the key is to reduce the stress on your shins.  Reduce the pounding.  Many kids in HS track go from sitting around in the off-season, to being thrown into intense workouts, and end up with shin splints.  Likewise for the old farts years later who may be overweight and one day decide to conquer the world and get in shape, going out and doing too much too soon, weighing too much, and getting shin splints.

               

              All I know is I've had them, and I don't have them now, and I don't want them ever again Smile

              Sjpcollins


                Looks like a lot of good advice coming in, definitely agree with mixing your surfaces up that would help. Also you said you've had your trainers for three to four months, how many miles have you covered it could be they have had it. Some trainers you only get 200 miles out them before they need replacing especially lighter trainers.

                Sjpcollins


                    I used to have problems with pain in the anterior tibial region.  Turned out if I just tied my shoes looser the pain went away.  Every once and a while the pain comes back and I realize my shoes are tied to tight pressing down on the tendon and irritating it when running.