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General Fitness & Nutrition: Shin Splint Help

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    conardwrestler12
    I've got a pretty bad case of shin splints and was wondering if anyone has any tips to help get rid of them. Currently I'm stretching, icing, strengthening (toe raises) as well as massaging and wrapping my shin in an Ace Bandage at night. Is there ANYTHING else i can do? Oh, and i recently bought shoe inserts for arch support, but i'm still wearing them in.
    • CommentAuthorFree MemberJohnedit
    • CommentTimeAug 30th 2008
     
    Johnedit

    I've had terrible shin splints for years - and found the only thing that alleviates them is Ibuprofen. 200mg - 400mg of it got rid of them for a couple of hours of squash matches/training.

     HOWEVER!! 

     1) It's temporary - take them 30mins before training etc, and you'll be good for a few hours (longest I lasted was about 8 hours before needing more) - but all this does is take down the swelling that causes the pain - it doesn't 'get rid' of them. 

     2) Ibuprofen can really mess up stomachs. Be VERY VERY VERY careful about taking it - check with doctors if need be, and be VERY aware of pains in your stomach. I can't stress enough that though it worked for me, I've got really bad heartburn all the time now from taking the stuff for years - it destroyed my stomach lining.

     So, though it might work for you - it's your choice whether you want to risk stomach issues. You have been warned!!

    John

    • CommentAuthorFree Membermelryon
    • CommentTimeAug 30th 2008
     
    melryon
    I know your pain!  The best advice I've received includes what you are already doing - icing (every 2 hours), stretching both upper and lower calf muscles, trigger point pressure - plus wearing shin compression wraps, which you can get from several vendors online.  The shin splints I've dealt with - medial tibial syndrome (insides of shins) basically come from the foot overpronating as the muscle that runs along the bottom of your foot comes down from your shin.  So the shin splint is 1) underdeveloped muscle, which 2)causes the muscle to actually pull on the "shin bone" sheath.  It's also helped a ton to visit a chiropractor/ physical therapist to do some massage/ electric muscle stimulation and ultrasound.  Take a week or two off and when you start running again, start slow - don't ramp up the miles too fast or you will make the injury worse.  This is hard but I made the mistake of doing too much too fast to make up for lost time in my training, which backfired.  I'm not a health care profession by any means, but this is what has worked very well for me. 
    • CommentAuthorFree Membernjl
    • CommentTimeSep 1st 2008
     
    njl
    fwiw, I got rid of my shin splints just from jumping rope! I could never run, but then I got into boxing and met Mr. Jump Rope. YMMV
    • CommentAuthorFree MemberPete1805
    • CommentTimeSep 1st 2008
     
    Pete1805
    After dropping out of the 2008 London Marathon, because the Silverstone 1/2 marathon the month before had crippled me I knew I had to do something! A few trips to the physio, some inserts to correct over-pronation, a balance mat (balance board) 15 minutes per foot per day and a gentle return to excercise have all helped. But I still have to run with compression wraps - I use the choi-pat version with straps top and bottom, that seem to add additional support. As I say not really gone away, but much more bearable - did 10 miles yesterday and only feeling sore in my calves - not my shins. Good luck.
    • CommentAuthorFree MemberNPHatton
    • CommentTimeSep 5th 2008
     
    NPHatton
    just give yourself plenty of recovery time, never run if you can feel them as itll only make them worse. Running downhill is good too, although there aren't many one way hills where i am so a treadmill with a decline function is probably your best bet
    • CommentAuthorFree Memberandrearr
    • CommentTimeSep 5th 2008
     
    andrearr
    I had really really really really (did I stress that enough) bad shin splints and never wanted to run because of them.  The best thing I ever did was start seeing a massage therapyst!!  I go once a week and well i'm finally running my first half marathon and am pain free!  It helps to go the day before your long runs too because you are very loose.  The other tricks are to ice like you are but also try lying on the floor with your legs up against the wall for 10 minutes after your runs. 
    • CommentAuthorFree Membervangus35
    • CommentTimeSep 5th 2008
     
    vangus35
    I have a question, I have severe pain in my left shin and it even hurts to the touch. Now my ortho said it was a stress fracture so I did no running for over 8 weeks and even wore an air cast for 6 weeks it has been over a month since i did all that and two days this week i ran briefly at my sons football practice on the grass and the pain returned slightly. Now is this just a bad case of shin splints or is it possible the fracture is still there?
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    conardwrestler12

    thanks guys, they seem to be going away. I think it was the shoe inserts that did it.

    • CommentAuthorFree Memberradr00th
    • CommentTimeSep 7th 2008
     
    radr00th
    Shoe inserts are great and practice engaging/strengthening your glut muscles (in your bum) as these being weak also contributes to shin splints. A test is to stand on one leg barefooted to see how stable you are.  To strengthen, lie on one side with knees bent in towards chest (at about 135 degrees) and lift top leg slowly. Three reps of 10 lifts each side was the recommendation from my physio. If you can't feel it, you're not doing it right!!
    • CommentAuthorFree Memberjksivillo
    • CommentTimeSep 8th 2008
     
    jksivillo

    couple of things:

     1.  I have become a big fan of "The Stick" for massaging anterior, and posterior calf muscles regularly.  May be worth a try.  The device isn't that expensive (much less than a massage therapy session) and it's good for quads and IT Bands too.

    2.  The following exercises for Posterior Tibialis Tendinitis helped me a ton.   I am not sure how others' shin splints are similar to pain I've felt in the past, but I put this out there FYI.  See:  http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/tibialis-tendinitis.html

    If the descriptions don't make sense to you, I'd find someone that understands the biomechanics and see if they can interpret.   I thought it was a good way to balance out some of the muscle strength discrepancies of the lower leg, which may be contributing to the problem

    • CommentAuthorFree MemberKymie4
    • CommentTimeSep 8th 2008
     
    Kymie4
    Vangus35 - You should have had a follow-up appointment with your ortho.  Did you get an x-ray or an MRI?  It's hard to tell how long a stress fracture will take to heal unless you know how bad it is.  If you saw a fracture line on an MRI or X-ray, the easiest way to tell if it has healed is to repeat it.  I'd go see your ortho again before you start running.
    • CommentAuthorFree Membersimias
    • CommentTimeOct 18th 2008
     
    simias

    conardwrestler12,

    you've probably done this already, but have you tried different shoes? i had severe shin splints in my left leg. unbearable after 2 - 3 miles and would only go away after 15 mins of walking, then back to running a couple of miles and then 15 mins of walking, so my runs were really bad.

    i went to my local running store...did the running eval (stepping on the pressure plate, running on treadmill, etc) and tried on a variety of shoes and LUCKILY the shoe i finally ended up with stopped the pain. ran a half last week and the pain never came back. 

    good luck and i hope the pain goes away! i know how bad they can be!!

    Chris

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