Sore calves and shins...

[Stick in Mud]

Hello all,

I've been lucky enough to get most of my exercise outside this winter, but I do spend more time than I'd like at the gym on the treadmill. I *hate* running on a treadmill, but once or twice a week I give it a go, just so I can be in tip-top shape when mushroom season rolls around.

For some reason, recently I've been getting terrible shin pain when walking and/or running on the treadmill. I also seem to have developed near-constant calf pain (but only if I apply pressure) to the outside of the calf. Feels like tight muscles, but I do a LOT of calf stretches these days (tore my (medial) left calf muscle a bit over two years ago, now). The tightness/pain is only on the outside/

It's definitely not the miles I'm doing, and it only happens when I run (or even walk) on the treadmill. Any ideas about cause and/or solution?

[ozzie]

solution is stay off treadmill!! haha couldn't resist!! I hate treadmills and elliptical machines...both cause issues with my legs and or hips. wish I had better answers for you. Good Luck

[fishersofmen]

I avoid cardio at all costs!

Seriously though I have never been on a treadmill in my life so not sure about that one. Do people tend to walk or run in an unnatural form being they are on an unnatural surface that is moving?

[Stick in Mud]

I'm with you. When I put "hate" in asterisks, I wasn't kidding...I really, really do hate them. But in January and February, one or two days a week used to be livable, and a quick run was nothing to worry about. This year, I dunno....my lower lower half feels like it's going to fall off. I'm wearing expensive shoes, too. I regularly do between 10 and 20 miles a day on hiking trails in the summer--all in Teva sandals--with nary a problem. Put a pair of $100+ New Balance on my feet and the problems start.

Maybe I should just wear the Tevas at the gym?!? With socks?!

[TR21HP]

Could be the shoes. Are you running on an incline when you are on the treadmill? This can often cause a problem. We are fortunate at our gym to have a flight of stairs inside and I usually just run those. Honestly if it hurts don't do it, shin splints can last for a long time and could ruin your spring runs if you continue to train with them. All I can offer for relief is ice and stretching.

[Stick in Mud]

Nope, no incline for me.

The shoes are pretty new and don't have that many miles on them. And they're fine for running outside; I only have a problem on the treadmill--and that only recently.

[Powerstroke]

Sounds like the shoes don't match your feet well or they aren't broken in yet. If the only thing that is different if your footwear, then I would start there.

[Stick in Mud]

I will toss on a different pair tomorrow and see how it goes.

[delcecchi]

Is this pain while you are exercising or does it persist after you stop?

[nofishfisherman]

I am guessing its probably not your shoes. If you can run outside with no pain and then feel pain only when on the treadmill I'm guessing that you are modifying your running stride when you move to the treadmill. The new altered stride is probably putting you in incorrect form and causing extra strain on your shin and calves. Can you feel if you are running more on your toes or more toward the inside or outside of your foot? Depending on how many miles you've logged on your shoes on the treadmill you can look at your shoes for wear spots to see what part of your foot is taking the most impact. If they are still pretty new you might not see much wear yet.

I am very familiar with shin pain/shin splints from years of running track through college. As a hurdler it was almost a constant battle every season, the foot just isn't meant to log as many miles in track spikes as I had to. The only real cure for it is to stop doing the activity that is bothering you and then to allow plenty of time to rest the injury. Once my track season would end I'd have to take 1-2 months off of all running to allow my legs to heal up so that I could jog without pain again.

When I am at the gym I refuse to use the treadmill because I know it alters my running form. I'm 6'4" and have a long running stride so I just don't fit on the treadmill very well. I find that I shorten my stride and that leads to issues. Instead my gym has a smallish running track (13 laps to a mile) and I'll use that instead. Most people hate it so I'm usually the only one running on it. Its not great but at least I can run with a normal stride. Because its so small and boring to run on I don't usually do more than 2 miles.