I have been having pain in my right shin since right after the Marine Corps 10K which was October 27th. Generally it is more an annoyance than a pain. Sometimes I've felt it a little when running but not enough to stop running. Sometimes I would feel it for a couple hours after I run. I've taken 2 weeks off (not consecutively, there was one run in between). I was able to string together a few decent runs and races lately in spite of it. But today it wasn't a niggiling pain.....it HURT. I had to stop running. So.... time for....something..... Long layoff? Stretches? Deep tissue massage? Special exercises? Anything work well for anyone? I know some of you have had shin splints before. Also....where on your shin does it usually hurt? For me it is on the inside of my right shin only, about halfway down. Is a shin splint what it even is? Yes I KNOW you're not doctors....and if I need to I will eventually go to one.... But my copay is high, I can't really take off work now, and my doctor hates runners and the last time I came in with a running injury he wouldn't even look at it and slammed the door on me (yes I know, I need a new doctor and have been trying to research one). But I would like some guidance even though you're not doctors.....you were all about a million times more knowledgeable about ITBS after all than my primary care doctor, orthopedic doctor and PT, after all.

I haven't had a bad case of shin splints for some time.  I had them bad and they stopped me from running about 6 years ago. Then, and now when i get a niggle I do lots and lots of stretching - my calfs & my arch (with a golf ball). I also do quite a bit of self massage. That's what's worked for me, but I don't believe mine have been particularly serious. I was just considering acupuncture 6 years ago when the problem magically disappeared.

Good luck treating yours.

I had shin splints for up to a year when I started running. I never stopped running because of them. In fact, whenever I would stop for a few days in a row, it would make things worse when I would start again. For me, the pain would be present the first 4-5 miles, then it would go away once the legs were thoroughly warmed up. Eventually, the shin splints went away either because I did my shin splints exercises regularly (you can google them, they are standard stretching exercises), or because that area of the legs adapted to the new stress I was imposing on them when I took up running. But like Damaris said, if you really have shin splints, I'm not sure that rest is what you really need (unless of course it's too painful to run. Then yes don't run).

Hey Kristin - you are late reporting your miles from last week!

Here.

OOPS...thanks! Sorry, was away this weekend til late last night (took a personal day from work yesterday) and forgot yesterday was actually  Monday!

I had them for most of my first year of running. They never got that bad and I mostly just ignored them. I think it partly due to tight calves and partly due to lacking muscles in my lower legs for running.  Anyway, eventually they went away.  But occasionally they come back if I try to do too much.  Stretching my calves post run seems to help, along with foam rolling and the stick.

I have them, but I chalk it up to being a newbie and constantly (gradually) building mileage. I actually found they hurt less when I'm racing. Interesting. What I do that helps is toe raises. Not calf raises, but the kind of thing where you put your feet flat on the floor and then raise your toes up towards your shins. You'll feel it in your shins if you're doing it right. That strengthening seems to help. And foam rolling.

Agree with everything here. I also found that the faster I ran, the less it hurt. Like the longer the impact on the ground, the more the pain is felt... But you cannot always run fast and running faster doesn't cure you. I also found that putting my back against a wall, standing with my heels about a foot away from it, then raising my toes and top of my feet up would help stretch and lessen the pain for upcoming runs.

I had shin splints when I tried running track in high school and then again in college. I believe they were caused by the sudden increase in both mileage and intensity. The first time I had shin splints they eventually turned into a stress fracture (right leg) and a stress reaction (left leg). I was then prematurely cleared for sports and reinjured my right leg. I have no residual pain today, though. The only time I've had any shin pain since I started running again was during a track session with my running club.

My podiatrist at the time recommended that I wear custom orthotics and strengthen the muscles around my shin. I still wear the orthotics, but got lazy with the strength exercises. Stretching has been really helpful, as well. Once, during track season in college, my calves became so tight that I couldnt bend my ankles. I have no doubts that was related to the shin splints.

So I guess I would recommend stretching, strength exercises, and to take it easy if it hurts too much to run. Good luck!

Does anyone have good stretching and strength exercises? I just can't figure out how to properly stretch my shin.

Venomized has a great routine somewhere on this site (can't remember where exactly).