Hey Everyone,
I am going to start my girlfriend on CT's Running Man program. She gets shin splints sometimes, so i am worried that they might act up. I am hoping, since this is sprinting, that they wont flare up since its not running for long periods of time.
Does anyone know of any treatment for shin splints. Or do you pretty much have to live with them?
thanks
anton
You pretty much have to stay off of them until they heal - that, and some good calf-stretching exercises well before you ever hit the road.
And, proper shoes. And, proper surface to run on. Etc.
I had nagging shin splints all summer. What has really worked for me is cryotherapy. I just fill up a dixie cup with water, peel back the paper and rub it on the tender areas. I do this after every workout, even if my shins aren't hurting. So far they've stayed strong with jump roping, GPP, and sprinting. Hope this helps.
Two of the biggest causes of shin splints are 1) a sudden increase in running volume, or 2)running on a hard surface. So I'd suggest easing into the program if you haven't been doing any running lately, as well as starting by doing the running on a grass surface if at all possible - especailly due to the fact that you are prone to developing shin splints. Also, make sure that you are wearing a good pair of shoes, and if the problem develops again, you may want to look at seeing if orthopedics may help alleviate the problem.
I only developed shin splints once in the past - after a hamstring injury caused me to have to stop sprinting. The physio gave me a series of stretches for the tibialis anterior that really ended up helping. Kneel on the ground and sit of your heels so that the top of your foot is being pushed into the ground. Hold the stretch for about a minute, then turn your towes outward (externally rotate) your feet 10-15 degrees and repeat. Turn tham out another 10-15 degrees and repeat again (all after a good warm-up of course) As you rotate your feet out more and more, it shifts the stretch from the front of the shin, more to the inner area where the shin splint pain occurs. Also, make sure to stretch both you calves and soleus as well.
Due to the increase forces involoved in sprinting, I would assume that you would be more likely to develop shin splints from sprinting than any other form of running, even though the number of footstrikes in a given session would be less than say a 5 km jog.
I agree with clansman, just because it isn't long distances, doesn't mean that you won't get them. I have them at the moment, from doing heavy conan's wheel and farmer's walks. I've only gone about 150 feet at best in each exercise.
calf stretching as previously stated, rest, and what worked for me the best was every night i'd lie down with my leg[s] elevated and an ice pack tightly wrapped around the most tender area.
someone told me sticking your leg[s] in a bucket of ice cold water is really good as well, but i never tried that.
peace,flash
Do a search for Shin Splints in this forum. A few months ago I posted a response to something nearly identical to your problem.
I have had the same problem. The best thing I did was go search for "Julstro" on yahoo and it should take you to the website. This is an injury prevention website. Go to the forums and search for shin splints. They say that a shin splint is a spasm. What needs to be done is the spasm needs to be "iron'd out." So, sit down on the floor with one leg out. Take the heel of your other leg(without shoes) and SLOWLY "iron" starting at your knee, all the down to your ankle, pressing against the inside of your shin bone. You will feel a couple of inches down lots of pain. This is the spasm. Do that repeatedly 2-3 times daily for 2 minutes each time. The pain from doing this is pretty high so be prepared, but it helps fast.
I used to get shin splints all the time. They were very brutal and i figured i couldn't get rid of them. They finally stopped when I got my Nike Air MAx. I tried many different type of shoes and these were the only ones that helped. Getting the right running shoes is always helpful in minimizing them. I went to the running room the guy did some tests and gave me some shoes to try outside, the Air max relieved me of all my pains.
The following worked best for me:
New shoes, correct arch support, calf AND hamstring stretches, and working with a towel.
Sit on the floor and wrap a towel around the ball of your foot. Use your hands for resistance as you point your toes and then again as you pull your toes back towards your head.
The ice column is great, if you have access to one. My college x-c coach mandated that at least once a month. We put little toe covers on our feet and then stood in a column filled with ice and water to just under our groin... for 20 minutes. It was painful, but the next day it wsa like you had brand new legs. Make sure you protect your toes if you do this though, you can get frostbite.
possible remedies: a)definitely run on softer surfaces, b)backwards running strengthens the shin muscles, c) hill running puts alot less stress on the shins
It's been said already, but I'll repeat it because it can not be stressed enough, new shoes. Running shoes wear out and good ones make all the difference in the world. Good luck.
Hey All,
Couple of things I have read in the past:
1)stand on 1 leg (then the other) for 5-10 mins each day,
2)stand backwards on a set of stairs with just the heels on the stairs, and do raises where the toes go below to above the stairs,
3)ICE as previously stated.
Peace,
T-Ren