Shin Splints

[Daniels]

Im going to join the regulars later this year, and have previously suffered shin splints. It actually stopped me joining the RMR twice while i was at college. Anyone had shin splints and recovered fully?? My brother is in kings squad at the moment and he had shin splints about the same time as me, but they just healed...and mine seemed to get worse.

Any info would be appreciated. Cheers

[joe]

dan,

I am (unfortunately) well acquainted with shin splints, so can perhaps pass on some advice, and hopefully they'll heal quicker for you then they have for me.

I have had shin splints twice (I'm 22 BTW). First time was a few years ago, and I went to a physio. However, I never got back into running after the treatment, so I don't know if it really worked or not.

I started running again in August 2002, and in October started getting shin pain. I knew this was splints, so went to a physio. I have been having treatment of some form since then! In fact it's only been this past week that I've been able to run for any length of time without experiencing pain, so that's nearly five months of having the wretched things.

Remember that they can be beaten (you can lose sight of this if you spend a long time injured). It may take some time, but you shouldn't let them stop you from achieving your goals.

Professional opinion is not consistent on the causes of shin splints. A podatrist may tell you it's related to foot pronation whilst a phsyio may tell you it's either muscle strength in the legs, or flexibility of those muscles. Both of them will tell you not to run so much on hard surfaces.

Because of there being varying professional opinions on the cause of shin pain, I took the approach that they were all correct, which meant that I went to two physios AND a podatrist and followed the advice that they all gave me. This meant:

1) Stretch everyday. In fact, twice a day. All the muscles in your legs.
2) Perform strengthing exercises for the lower leg muscles (start with toe raises).
3) Use orthotics (I am a hyper-pronator, so have some inserts that help correct this)

My advice would be (if you are currently suffering), go to a good physiotherapist who can make an assessment of what the actual problem is. "Shin splints" is usually a catch-all term for lower leg pain; medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is pain on the inside of the tibia, anterior shin splints is pain on the outside of the leg, and compartment syndrome is not even really "shin splints", but is certainly something to be considered when diagnosing shin pain. MTSS is the most common form of shin splints, but as I say, go to a physio and get a proper diagnosis.

They will be able to treat the leg with a variety of techniques, as well as tell you what to do to help prevent a recurrence.

As well as the physio, go and see a podiatrist (I would advise that anyone who does a lot of running actually go see one). I went to see one who was recommended to me, and he has done a great job. He did a full video analysis of my gait, as well as a check on my lower leg muscle stength. He provided some custom moulded insoles that have helped correct my running style, so that I no longer get any pain (touch wood ).

A good article which emphasises the fact that there is no single cure for these things, can be found at the following link:

http://svr-www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~kmk/shin_splint.html

... but by far and away the best resource EVER is the following link:

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/arc ... atment.htm

I follow all the exercises recommended in the above, and it's worked for me. If you want anymore links, post on here and I'll check my bookmars at home and post them up.

Best of luck,

Joe

[cglees]

I have also suffered from shinsplints from time to time and i have found it beneficial to do lots of strengthening work on the ankle and lower leg aswell as stretching the ankles before running (lots of people neglect their ankles when stretching their legs out), doing this will help your ankles absorb more shock and so take some of the strain off of your shins, it also reduces the risk of a sprain when running on un-even ground as your ankle musscles and ligs will become stronger and more flexible.
Another link you might try is: www.teamresultz.com
they have lots of examples of exersises and stretches for the lower leg that you can do anytime, aswell as advice on injury prevention.

[Chris]

i may sound stupid but what are shin splints?

[Daniels]

cheers joe and cglees, your info has been a great help, you seem to be some of the only switched on people on this board! i was expecting people just to reply even if they hadnt had shin splints and just give me some bullshit answers! its nice to hear from people who have done PRMC aswell, ive done it and i know how you all feel!

well ill give your advice a go, see how it goes, and if it works then cheers in advance!

ohh p.s. my name is Luke (sirname Daniels!)

[joe]

Luke,

There are some great people on here, both serving and retired, who can help out with any questions you may have. I only tend to pitch in when it's a topic that I know a fair bit about, hence my reply on this thread ... I'm going for the Paras myself, but don't let that put you off!

Joe

[= Jay =]

could someone explain to me.....wtf is shin splints exactly....what does it do to your shins....

[Beast]

There seems to be alot of cases of shin splints with members on the forum training, didn't know it was so common.
Take it easy chaps.
I'm just one of the lucky ones i guess.
For those that want more basic info, here you are:

Shin splints are aches and pains along inner side of your leg, usually lower 1/2.

Cause:
Overuse - muscles that originate along inner side of leg (Tibia) are injured or inflamed.
These muscles (posterior Tibia) help maintain the arch of the foot.
Flat feet or dropped arch (Pronation) can stretch these muscles and may slightly tear them away from the side of the Tibia.

Symptoms:
Local pain
May have swelling or redness
Aggravated by running

Treatment:
Rest
Local ice applications - 20 minutes
Anti-inflammatory medicine

Corrective Measures:
Correct Pronation with arch supports or better shoes
Change in running environment (i.e. -- track vs. uneven ground)

Other Causes:
Stress fracture of Tibia
- From impact of running
- Needs to be ruled out with X-Rays or a bone scan
- More serious - requires protection

[joe]

Jay,

Medial Tibial Stress Synodrome (MTSS) AKA "shin splints" is essentially an inflamation of the inside edge of the tibia (if you're not sure which bone that is, look at your leg. The bone that is on the inside of the leg is the tibia. Feel for the edge that is nearest the inside. That is where people tend to get the pain).

Now, an "inflamation" might not sound very much, but believe you me, it is! It can stop people dead when they are running. Perhaps more seriously, it can develop into a stress fracture, so you need to be very careful if you get shin splints (no point is "running through the pain" if it's only going to properly f*ck the leg up now, is there?). The inflamation tends to a occur when the muscle is pulled slighly away from the bone, either because of inflexiblility, an imbalance in the lower leg muscles, or pronation of the foot (arch collapsing).

There are other types of shin pain - compartment syndrome, for example - and these often get lumped in with "shin splints", but the two things are totally different. There are some good resources on the web if you want to know more

Joe

[= Jay =]

thanx lads.....was annoyed...everyone's talking about shin splints and didnt have the foggiest

[Chris]

Thankyou jay

[Daniels]

chris, have a gander at the link that joe put up....its a very good website, and will tell you alot about the subject!

and joe, i have alot of time for the paras! my m8 is training with them and in week 5 i think. Unfortunately he's leaving because he said he didnt like the way everything was 'rushed' and he wanted his priviledges back!!! (well it made me laugh!!!) - its annoying really because hes a f@#k fit bastard and never gets injuries!!! GIVE ME YOUR LEGS THEN!!!

- Luke

[tony dean]

Alright lads.
Im in training with the RAF Reg at the moment and im on remidial wing due to splints. The causes have all been mentioned, mine seem to be weak ankles, flat feet (which is not a medical faliure in response to the other thread) and muscle imbalance (caused by body trying to comensate poor shin splint affected running).
The thing with shin splints is you MUST rest them and seek help. As soon as you have long distance speed march's carry webbing, jetsack, CBA, weapon etc. your legs wont be able to handle them and you'll get stress fractures.
Which is exactly what seems to have happened to me (having X-ray next week). They can be cured, but its a long haul. I'll let you know how they deal with mine in the future.

[Cronkilla]

After reading the great links posted i think ive discovered why i am having pains. Its located on the back of my upper and lower legs on both lwft and right. Now a link said "running will greatly improve the back muscles faster than the front". My question is that because i do running and 1.5 hours of cycling regularly and sprint training should i try some exercises to 'level' these muscles?

Im too cheap to go to a gym and was looking for some advice on training i can do at home with the use of a free weight set i have. Sqauts with weights is all i can think of ,any other ideas at hand?

I may book and appointment with my GP to see if my hypothesis is correct. I do supplement training with 'deep heat' before and after exercise and during running i stop at 10 minute markers to stretch my legs and a good 15 minute stretching before and after exercise.

Any ideas would be appreciated.


EDIT

Just had a thought,if my back muscles build faster that would mean the front would hurt and not my back ones...........scratch that hypothesis then

[El Prez]

Cronkilla, you just may be experiencing sciatica, have you injured your back recently or in the past. Have you been carrying a bergen, or using heavy free weights and injured yourself? Best see a doc anyway.