Forums >General Running>Posterior Shin Splits--Help with cause and treatment
Hi all,
Excited to be a part of the group!
I'm having my yearly outbreak of lower leg issues, I think posterior tibilias/shin splints. I run a lot in the summer in a beach community, so mostly on asphalt with once or twice a week beach or boardwalk surfaces. I run 2-4 miles per run at a 9:30-10:30 pace. During the rest of the year I do races now and then and train for that but get pretty lazy otherwise. Every summer around now I start to get this pain. I've tried different shoes, different stretches, etc... but it comes back. I figured it was overuse but this summer I'm running as much as I did all spring/winter when I trained throughout winter for a May 10 miler doing 3-4 runs a week. There were no issues at all during that training, which was about 70% treadmill, 30% streets.
Anyone have any similar experiences or guesses on what could be causing this? Similarly any magic ideas for reducing the pain outside of the stretches/ice/rest ideas floating around google? Also, has anyone had success with KT tape for this type of issue?
TIA!
It's Tuesday every day
Hello - I feel your pain! Well, I used to, every freakin' year like clockwork for 20+ years, until I finally found the magic (for me) combo:
1. This one is the key that finally made the difference for me:
Do these calf presses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZVq3ov914&t=53s. There used to be a better video of the exercise, but I can't find it. Key point: be sure to lift up and out thru your arch - you should be trying to arch your foot like a ballet dancer, wrinkling your arch from the effort. Also get up as high as you can on your toes.
I used to do 2*20 standing on the stairs with my heels hanging off the edge. I have now graduated to a different kind of kind of calf stretch/press, but I have to do some kind forever.
2. Stand on a slant board (toes higher than heels) 10 min/day. I just bought a scrap piece of 12"-wide plywood and propped it up on a brick or two. Also: I placed mine so I could stand on it with my back on the wall, so I could read or watch TV to help the time pass.
If you can only do one of these, do #1.
Good luck!!
--Christine
Thanks Christine, I haven't seen that stretch before. I'll try it out. Did you ever figure out what caused yours?
Hi - looking back, I associate mine with an annual transition to running more miles on concrete. And, to running the same (concrete) path almost all the time. What would happen is: the snowfall would increase (I lived in CO) and so I'd start running almost exclusively on the one surface that was consistently plowed: a concrete bike path.
Also, because it was cold, I probably ran more miles. And also, because it was a bike path, I always hugged the right side of the path and so was probably exposing my right leg to constant slight crowning.
Finally, I've always had tight calves (along with high arches), which contributes.
Really finally: working on glute strength/balance probably helps, too. I tend to "sit in the bucket" and let my knees wobble a little inward when I get tired. Things like one-legged squats and practicing running uphill strong but relaxed help me stand up taller when I run and wobble less.
Thanks, Christine