Shin Splints... Help

[( . )( . )]

I get really painful shin splints whenever i run and the pain lasts for days afterwards, normally i wouldnt worry as much but the thing is i start recruit training next week for the defense force and i really fear this could be a problem for me.

does anyone have any first hand experience with shin splints or know of anything that can make it less painful?, i was thinking/hopeing maybe if i start running regurlarly it will come good.

 

[chim_chim]

Do you have them on the medial or lateral side of your shin?

If they're on the lateral side, it's usually from jumping too quickly into a workout program and not starting gradually.

If they're on the medial side, it's often from a combination of overtraining and a biomechanical irregularity(bad running form). I've suffered from these myself, and the only way to cure them is rest. Here are other things I've tried:

• Ice at least once daily, including after every workout.
• Take ibuprofen. This will lessen the pain but won't take care of the problem. I usually take four before I run, I'm not sure if it would be safe to take much more.
• A compression brace on my calf. The pressure lessens the pain slightly, but it doesn't help them go away.
• Inserts to raise the arches in my running shoes. I'm "flat-footed, which leads to overpronation, which can lead to shin splints
• Stretching in the morning, before/after running, and before going to sleep. I can try to find links showing the stretches if you want them.

That's all you can really do. Even doing the above, I still get shin splints if I run intensely more than every other day. If I were you, I'd stick to biking this week to try to heal them as best as possible before your training. Then you're just going to have to deal with the pain.

 

[( . )( . )]

thanks for the advice, all ive been doing is rubbing deep heat into them everyday and thats not really doing sh1t.

and the pain is at the front,below the knee and down to the ankles i dont know the technical term for it.

edit: there are also bumps all along my shins ever since it started .

 

[chim_chim]

Are the bumps soft? If so, they're probably swelling.

It sounds like you have lateral shin splints. Here is some more info from WebMD:

Lateral shin splints (sometimes called anterior shin splints) are usually due to overuse and inflammation of the anterior tibialis muscle and the muscle compartment in the front of the leg, along the outside front of your shin. The anterior tibialis muscle flexes your foot upward. People frequently get anterior shin splints from the repetition of flexing the muscle. For instance, on the treadmill, if you walk fast enough, and for long enough, or if you've suddenly increased the speed, or you're walking on an elevation, the muscle gets overworked and starts to cramp. It would be like doing hundreds of biceps curls until your arm started to cramp. Plus, on the treadmill, there's no letup since the mill just keeps going. You could potentially have the same problem if you walked or ran briskly outdoors for a long period of time at a speed faster than you're used to.

Treatment for shin splits includes rest, massage, ice, stretching, and strengthening. Rest and ice is sometimes the best treatment. You should also be stretching your calves and Achilles tendon real well. If you have the problem during running or walking, try warming up more and don't increase the speed too quickly. You can also try varying the speed and elevation of the treadmill if you use one instead of keeping it the same.

To stretch your calves:

1. Lean against a wall with one leg forward and the knee bent.
2. Keep the rear leg straight, heel on the floor.
3. Keep your back straight and lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your calf. If you don't feel it too much, put your toe of the rear leg up on a tree limb, or a dumbbell, or any other small object, so that you bend the ankle more. Your heel always remains on the floor. That will increase the stretch.
4. To stretch the soleus muscle and Achilles (very important for shin splints), do the same calf stretch but bend the back knee slightly and you will feel the pull on your Achilles tendon.

When you stretch, make sure to hold the stretch until you feel looser and not just for 10-15 seconds. The point to stretching is to stretch the muscle, so hold it until you feel stretched.

Also make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you lots of support, particularly in the arch. If your shins hurt you should gently massage them and then ice them after you work out.

 

[Reto]

Chim Chim has some good advice here.

I get them when I run too fast. But, that won't help you in your training. I'd focus on the proper form like he said.

When I was in Basic for the Army, I developed a stress fracture in my ankle toward the end. I didn't want to repeat Basic training, so I dealt with the pain. It sucked... I just favored it, limped, etc...

 

[prosemont]

Tits, sorry to hear about the splints. They'll be around for awhile and you'll now be prone to them.

Runners who have splints try to stay off the roads (pavement, concrete, etc) and run only on grass or a rubberized track. Keep off treadmills, too, because those will continue to blast them. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of evidence that treadmills are responsible for lots of runner's injuries from repetitive stress injury from hitting the exact same spot time and again which is why people get splints, pulled arches and achilles tendons, etc, on treadmills.

Good luck bro.

 

[bogman2121]

If you have flat feet get some arch supports that helps A LOT. Stretch your calves. Take Advil. Back off on the running a little until they get better so ride the bike a little more and run a little less. This worked for me and might work for you and thats massaging around the area thats tight and where the pain is concentrated (not the bone just the area around it.) All of those things mentioned have helped me in my past 4 years of running track so they should definately help you as well.

 

[o14liquid]

stretch before you run like the others have said
try to get a shin guard thing. i bought one from eastbay awhile back for my shins becuz they were hurting whenever hoop.
it also help to gradually work ur leg out, like stated above. like do a lite jog, stretch then a mid jog, stretch a bit then run like forest gump (well not run but jog or whatever u wanna do )
dont rush into ur workout cuz that causes you to get injured ya know.

 

[( . )( . )]

well i now have stress fractures and only just made it through my training dosed up on painkillers (not that it helped much).

I heard on the grapevine that one of our top footballers here who also got stress fractures took some ilegal drug that reinforces bone, kind of like spak filler for bones. Anyone heard of this?

 

[Alpine]

Hey, you got through that's great.

Not worth messin with stuff like that bone stuff. Keep eating well, lots of sleep when possible and lay off the booze.

Here are some things I did to get through P company. Some of this may be mensioned already but here goes.

Put sorbathene or similar insoles in your boots, these dramatically reduce the impact stress.

Where possible run with a low knee lift and land flat not heel toe.

If you can get some Diclofenic, I've since discovered these anti-inflammatory and are great, far better than Brufen. The same caveat applies though to masking pain dangers.

Read up on muscle trigger points on the net. I've had referred pain in the lower leg that was helped by relieving a problem in the hip muscles!

At the end of the day your long term health is more important than being back squadded. I understand the mentality, I've done it myself but on basic your body is probably less likely to keep pace withh demands than on more 'severe' selection cadres in the future. You don't want to carry long term injuries at this stage.

What sort of role are you doing in the defence force.

 

[( . )( . )]

I was taking voltaren and celebrex, voltaren was good but stuffed up my stomach which was already bad enough from the painkillers so i got put on celebrex. Also had some innersoles put in my shoes, but i mean the damage is done now so im curious to find out if there actually is something that hardens/fixes bones.

To be honest the training really woke me up to how unfit i was , and i know for a fact if i was any older there would be no way in hell i would have gotten through it, its definately a young mans game all that fitness sh1t.

But il check out those Diclofenic for my next fitness test when i have to start pounding my legs again, which thank christ isnt for another year now.

What sort of role are you doing in the defence force.

Royal Australian Navy

 

[Alpine]

Ok for the navy you are unlikely to need to TAB anywhere to fight so now you've done your basic just don't turn into a bloater like most matlos.

If you are shore based, run in well cushioned trainers and do one run a week in combat boots. I think the Aussies do a very similar BFT/CFT type tests you should easily do that by next year. If you don't you've been a lazy rum drinking ass!

Let time heel your bones.

With regard to age. In your case it wasn't that you were perhaps older than some other recruits it was that it was new to your body and it didn't adapt with the pace of the course.

I did some very demanding selection courses in my thirties and faired a lot better than younger lads because my body had been there done that. It's like a marathon runner putting in the miles in the bank.

Oh, and enjoy it.

 

[Nightwing]

Originally posted by ( . )( . )
I get really painful shin splints whenever i run and the pain lasts for days afterwards, normally i wouldnt worry as much but the thing is i start recruit training next week for the defense force and i really fear this could be a problem for me.

does anyone have any first hand experience with shin splints or know of anything that can make it less painful?, i was thinking/hopeing maybe if i start running regurlarly it will come good.

You must run a LOT. Have you tried changing your running shoes?? Go to a running store and get fitted for some running shoes.

 

[Phrozen]

Get a dard.

http://www.lifestylesport.com/dard.htm

 

[Alpine]

That's an awesome device, would certainly help the shin splints and ankle.

I was also going to suggest to him cross training aerobically to build up muscles that tend to be weak for running.

Cycling with clip in pedals is excellent for shinsplints and front thigh development (to prevent knee problems). Also you can train your system more with less chance of a running injury.