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euancranston
Feb 15, 2006, 10:27 PM
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OK - this might not quite be the best place to post this.......but, i've been jogging 3 miles 3 times a week as well as climbing. i was at the gym tonight and noticed pain on the insides of my shins....is this shin splints??? when trying to jog, i get the pain for about 3 mins before i completely warm up, now as far as im aware, shin splints cause problems with even walking...ok mu shins can feel a bit stiff but nothing to excruciating pain.
Can anyone advise what this might be and what the best stretches/warm up might be to gradually get rid of this/prevent it? :roll:
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octarine
Feb 15, 2006, 10:33 PM
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I used to get shin splints from running on an asphalt track. For me it felt like I had hairline fractures in my lower legs, sharp, very acute pain in my legs. As far as I know just stretching out your lower legs, especially the small muscles on the front and sides helps a bit, but I just worked through them and they went away after a few weeks.
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lehrski
Feb 15, 2006, 10:43 PM
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I'm an avid runner and that definitely sounds like shin splints. You can push through it and if you're lucky they'll go away in a few weeks as your legs strengthen. There's a good chance though that they won't and you'll be much worse and might end up having to take a few months off.
The safest thing is to take time off until they heal. Do non-weight bearing aerobic excercise such as swimming or biking to keep up your fitness or even run in a swimming pool. Ice and ibuprofen help. It's better to wait until they're gone before you start stretching. Stretching can further inflame the area.
Once they heal up, there are some things you can do to prevent them happening again. There are exercises you can do to strenthen the area and balance your leg muscles. Try the website: http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/1079-shin-splints.htm
Try to avoid running on roads because they tend to slant to the outside. Trails are more gentle on your legs. Build up your mileage and speed slowly.
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nshaver2
Feb 15, 2006, 11:30 PM
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I have been a runner for many years and I have to say ICE will help a lot. Go easy and ice and the problem will most likely go away, if not how old are the shoes you are running in? if your shoes are too worn or your wearing improper shoes this could be the source of your problem. If you shoes are worn get new ones and the best place to buy shoes is at a specialty running store, where the employees actually know which shoes are good for the kind of runner you are. good luck.
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hanginaround
Feb 22, 2006, 9:22 PM
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Ice, Rest, Orthodics, New (better) Shoes..
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jred
Feb 22, 2006, 9:30 PM
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Try picking up crunched up balls of paper or towels with your toes, it worked great for me.
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hand2foot
Feb 22, 2006, 9:43 PM
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I run valet at a busy Las Vegas casino which means sprinting for 5-8 hours 4-5 days a weeks. Obviously, no time to take off and rest. Nshaver's advice is good. I found my choice of shoes (Unfortunatly for my wallet, I wear those $100 Nike Shocks) along with the proper inserts make a huge difference in my legs. When my legs start hurting I go buy new shoes. I go through a pair of shoes about every three months.
Also I found that stretching lightly before running, then heavily after running helps.
Stretches.. may be best to consult a running mag. They might have good pics
But if you can rest I think lehrski has some great advice.
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robdotcalm
Feb 22, 2006, 9:50 PM
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All the advice given here is good, common sense, but be cautious. If it doesn't respond in a couple of weeks have it checked out by a physician. I am personally aware of an "obvious case of shin splints" in a teen age runner that turned out to be a serious bone disease.
Cheers,
Rob.calm
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mdacar
Feb 22, 2006, 9:54 PM
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My friend is a PT and she recommended putting your heel on the ground and writing the alphabet with your toes (upper and lower case). It helps to stretch and strengthen that muscle.
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lizardchick
Feb 22, 2006, 10:27 PM
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Ice, ice, ice. Take it easy if you can, and don't try anything silly like a compression bandage. Shin splints are the irritation of the small muscles that run up along your shin, so you want to give them room to be, well, irritated.
If you are careful, they will get stronger.
Another good exercise to target those muscles in your shin is to lay out a towel on the floor. With your toes, scrunch and slide your way down the length of the towel a few times (Bunching it up behind your heel). Once you've got that down, you can increase resistance by putting a can of soup or something on the end of the towel, and try pulling that towards you with your toes.
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jeep914x4
Feb 22, 2006, 10:37 PM
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I don't like dealing with ice. When training for the Imogene Pass Run I get two towels, wet them and put them in the freezer. After my run, pull the towels out. Unfold them and wrap them around my legs. Feels great after a run and you ice your whole leg at once.
I have never had a problem with shin splints but general rule of thumb... back of a little and see how it feels. Work your speed and distance up slowly.
Good luck recovering.
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rocketsocks
Feb 25, 2006, 1:15 AM
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Yes, those sound like shin splints.
You can google for treatment options. I would suggest a combination of ice (after running) and heat (usually at night), apply each for at least 15 min. Also, you need to stretch, the more the pain the more often you should stretch (several times a day). The best stretch for me is just kind of a flat-footed squat. You can take an anti-inflamatory (like ibuprofen or aleve) if you like. Finally, you need to rest. If you try to just "run through the pain" you could be working yourself to a stress-fracture. Take it easy, take an extra rest day between runs, run slower. And if the pain becomes severe during running, you need to stop immediately, treat the pain (see above) and take more time off. Seriously, don't let the macho "play through the pain" BS force you into an injury. How hard can you push yourself if your leg is in a cast?
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