Shin Splints

[flyfisher03]

I have started working up my distance running but have been getting shin splints. I am an over pronator and have motion control shoes and insoles. Are there any stretches or strengthening exercises to prevent them?

[nofishfisherman]

I dealt with shin splints my entire running career. Mine were from too much impact when I was a hurdler back in my track days.

The one thing all the trainers I worked with over the years told me to do was write the ABC's in the air with your toes. While sitting down in a chair extend your leg out in front of you so that you raise your foot off the ground a few inches, make sure your heal isn't touching the floor. Picture your big toe as the tip of a pen a use it to write the alphabet in the air. Do it on one leg and then the other. You can do it off and on all day long as you sit and watch tv or when sitting at the computer. It helps strengthen all of those tiny little muscle fibers in your shins.

As far as stretching I found that having someone pull down on my feet helped some. While sitting down on the floor extend your legs out straight in front of you with your toes point to the ceiling. Have someone grab the top of your foot and pull it away from you like they are trying to make the bottom of your shoe touch the floor. They won't pull it very far and it needs to be a slow even pressure. You can tell them when they are pulling far enough and then have them hold if for a count of 8-10 or so.

Another thing you can try to do is avoid running on really hard surfaces whenever possible. Its pretty hard in the winter but if you are out running in the spring/summer instead of running on the sidewalk or road try to run on the grass next to the sidewalk. It will help take the edge off of the pounding. A heavily cushioned insole can also help. I had to break down and fit my track spikes with a cushioned insole at one point and it helped but track spikes have no cushioning to start with.

Beyond that the treatment once you do get them is lots of ice and rest until they heal. If you want to keep training through them try mixing in some bike rides or an elliptical machine during the week to at least take a few miles off your legs. When I was in the middle of a track season I couldn't really stop training so I would try to get on the bike on my recovery days, it wasn't enough to heal the injury but it helped keep it from getting a lot worse. At the end of the season I usually had to take a full month off for them to heal completely so that I didn't feel them when I walked. I remember one season they got so bad that every time I ran with every step I took it felt like some was stabbing me in the shin with burning red fork.

They can be a frustrating injury to deal with. Best of luck to you.

[that_guy]

Previous poster covered all that I've ever been told when I had shin splints.

I too am an over pronator. The one thing I would be curious if you've checked into is speaking with an orthopedic specialist about which shoes they recommend.

The other thing that I'd recommend you consider is a new pair of shoes. Some shoes are rated for far less miles than others, and if you wear them outside running, getting them wet can reduce that, as well as wearing them for casual use.

A lot to consider...but to deal with the pain, ice, stretching and exercises are all that will get you back on the road.

[mrklean]

Like the previous poster said touching your toes to the air sometimes we put small dumbbells on our toes to give a little weight only 5 pounders but it helped

[B. Amish]

i've had shin splints my whole life. i've seen a podiatrist, athletic trainer, and others about it. they suggested the stretches, and the podiatrist told me to get some inserts and prescribed some prescription strength ibuprofen. that stuff helped somewhat.

the thing that helped me the most was i finally found out i was wearing really poor shoes everyday. when i'd buy shoes i always told the salesman that i suffered from shin splints, but i don't think i got the best shoes to help. finally, i found a salesman that suffered from shin splints too. he said there are really only a couple shoes on the market that are designed to help. i bought one of them and its made a world of difference.

inserts in bad shoes help a little. well designed shoes help a lot. i have a hard time wearing hunting boots or dress shoes even with inserts in them. the pain comes back after a few hours.

[TR21HP]

Get yourself some custom insoles made especially for your feet and that should solve a lot of your problems. Shin splints are often caused by an imbalance in your muscles of the calf vs. shins. A good physical therapist should be able to diagnose the problem and good fitting shoes, with the insoles should help a great deal.

[CANOPY SAM]

I was always told, back in my track years, that shin splints came from "slapping" your feet flat on the hard surface while running. Is this the same as "over pronating"?

I used to get them really bad, when I could run. I had some relief when I was taught to run more heel to toe, heel to toe.

[not_nuf_time]

Have a basketball daughter that had shin splints with stress fractures, continuously for two years. The only thing over a two year time period that made them go away or ratchet back, was a change in shoes. From taping, to icing to therapy, it came down to the right comfort in her shoes. After finding right ones, no problems. Still used same company brand name just different line.

[nofishfisherman]

The right shoes can help alot. If you are a runner I would encourage you to buy your shoes from a running store instead of heading to the local mall or big box sporting goods store. I personally have bought a lot of my running shoes from a place called Run n Fun in St. Paul. The staff knows what they are talking about and all have probably dealt with shin splints personally so they can help get you into the right shoe.

[flyfisher03]

I have gotten my last few pairs of shoes from the running room along with the inserts. I have Asics because I really haven't had issues with them in the past. I have tried other brands too but didn't like the way they fit. I think what has been causing them is running too fast and too far for what I am used to doing. I will try doing some of the stretches/strengthening activities to help prevent them in the future. Thanks everyone.

[that_guy]

Form is also important in running as well. Stride length, posture, the whole mechanics of it is pretty mind numbing. It may not hurt to do some research on how the human body is designed to run. I know I used to plant very heavily on my heel which is not the best way to go about things. After doing some research and speaking to some professionals they got me sorted out and I'm much more comfortable running now.