I think ive got shinsplits, muscles hurt on the inside of my leg and i can 'feel' my left shin is under pressure when running for a while, it doesnt really hurt but it throbs. WHY DO I KEEP ON GETTING PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM THROWN AT ME
Going to my GP next week, I won't run anymore, il just keep on boxing,cycling, wrestling etc
(I'l get there in the end, phase 1 was supposed to be in March but havn't heard anything from them yet so it'l be June then, hope I'm ready by then.)
Shin spilnts can occur for many reasons and depending who you ask you'll get lots of different cures.
-Some say run on soft surfaces like grass, but this aint always convenient
-Some say its because you've done too much too quick - take it very easy and build up slowly the number of runs you do
-Trainers may be putting pressure on the wrong places. I heard that you can get some type of soel to slip in the trainer to correct this - ask at sportshop.
-Make sure that you are running properly- i.e. dont run on the inside of your feet. If you get sore shins try deliberatley landing more on the outside. You wont look as stupid as you think you might!
However, some people (Kieran Dyer, Rob Jones) suffer from shinsplits chronically and all they can do is rest and take it easy when they come.
Try using the rower to get fitter. You get no shinsplits there and you'll get an intense workout.
Make sure you wear proper running shoes with plenty of support. Go to a running shop and get advice from professionals (the good ones will even measure your feet and take into account the way you run).
I had problems and went to the GP but he didnt say anything new. Just told me to run on soft surfaces (which is almost impossible in the cold and icy weather) and told me to take some ibuferon to ease the swelling. Obviously you should rest for a couple of weeks as it may be a result of overtraining or unacostumed exercise. You may even be running too fast which could cause a problem. When running take it easy and concentrate on foot placements. When running on roads keep a lookout for uneven ground (holes, dents, speed bumps etc). Try to land on your heel and push off with your toes.
Try stretching your calf muscles a hell of a lot more and also your hamstrings, but the emphasise being on the calfs. Also, this worked for me, when you tie your trainer laces dont thread them through their normal uppermost loop holes but tie them one or two loop holes down. When I had this problem with my shins tieing my trainers like this seemed to 'free up' the ankle abit and took most of the strain off my shins. At the end of the day though I think my problem was doing too much too soon and no where near enough rest days between hard training sessions - muscles take 48hrs to refuel and upto a week or more to recover so if your constantly using your bodies resources you'll get run down and prone to over-use injuries and/or illness.
Jon wrote:Make sure you wear proper running shoes with plenty of support. Go to a running shop and get advice from professionals (the good ones will even measure your feet and take into account the way you run).
I had problems and went to the GP but he didnt say anything new. Just told me to run on soft surfaces (which is almost impossible in the cold and icy weather) and told me to take some ibuferon to ease the swelling. Obviously you should rest for a couple of weeks as it may be a result of overtraining or unacostumed exercise. You may even be running too fast which could cause a problem. When running take it easy and concentrate on foot placements. When running on roads keep a lookout for uneven ground (holes, dents, speed bumps etc). Try to land on your heel and push off with your toes.
Yeah I have 100 quid trainers wich I got at a specialist shop who measured my feet etc, but I already had a 'slight discomfort' then. I thought it was just temporary.
I run on the outside of my feet, slowly rolling my feet when they land. Always on the running machine, not outside anymore because its not good to run on hard surfaces (Told us at selection) and im in the gym everyday anyway.
I'l just keep stretching my muscles everyday etc, going to my GP on monday.
Dont run on the running machine too often. It will weaken your ankles and the transition to road running will be risky. Running on raods can toughen your ankles. Dont run on your toes unless sprinting. Only seasoned athletes should do that.
There is a warm up exercise where you rotate and pronate your foot. DONT DO IT. Pronation actually causes shin splints.
And dont tie your shoes too tight, have them a bit loose. When I first got my running shoes it took me a couple of days to run in comfort. Plus, dont wear too thin socks. It will cause rubbing on the top of your foot and will make shin splints even worse.
My advice would be to avoid your GP like the plague. They are more likely to do more damage than good. I have yet to meet a GP with the specific knowlege required to meet the needs of a sports-related problem. Most of them are just VERY good at referrals! That's why they're called "GP's".
See if you can find a decent sports physio-therapist. Be careful, though, there are a lot of quacks out there! Try to get one recommended from a reliable source.
Second, you might consider orthotic insoles. Not cheap, but they really do the trick.
I broke my pelvis in six places in 1990. It healed well overall, but left me with my left leg just a hair shorter than my right. I didn't realize this until several years later when I stated getting pattela-femoral syndrom in my left leg. The issue was that my left ilio-tibial band was consistantly over-stretching and causing my kneecap to pull out of alignment. Hence the rubbing of the head of the femur on the soft tissue at the back of the patela and associated pain, etc. My GP recommended I stop running, etc., blah, blah, blah. "Try agin", I said. That;s not going to happen. So she sent me to a sports physio' (why she didn't in the first place, I'll never know). The physio gave me a course of specific stretches targeting my IT band, combined with drop-sqaut exercises to strengthen the associated muscles, all of which rea-aligned my patela and all was well.
I always do the drop-squats and specific stretches immediately after running now and it works like a dream! No more pain (especially on staies, which was the worst!).
It's not just about the knees, though. It's about beinng able to do the things you need/want to do and keep going. I have never particularly enjoyed running - even when I was a Bn PTI. It just bores the crap out of me - alwasy has. But it is a necessary evil and incredibly hard to replace for the benefits derived from it.
Also, try this old and trusty remedy for muscle problems. Disolve about a pound (or more) of Epsom salts in a very hot bath (as hot as you can stand it). Ease youself into the bath and get used to the heat, then increase the hot water to make it even hotter (hotter the better, but don't scald yourself). After a few minutes, start doing some stretched right in the bath: Touching your toes, stretching the calves and shins, etc. It's amazing how beneficial this is. I do this at least once a week, especially when I'm training hard. Also, a hidden benefit is that it is like a sauna - a great way to purge your body of toxins (especially heavy metals, such as mercury). This salts help a lot here!
A final point: Ensure that you are doing proper post-exercise stretching to dissipate lactic acid and take advantage of the warm muscles to get the extra stretch benefit. Lactic acid can also be done away with (in part) just by lying on your back and elevating your legs (on a bench for instance) for a few minutes.
I passed out for a while. When I came to, it was a tad sore to say the least. "Crepitis" (the grinding of broken bone edges) is not a commonly understood term unless one has experienced it oneself!
They gave me morphine, but forgot to give me Gravol. The problem with Morphine is it causes nausia. Not good when the lower insertions of the abdomina muslces are all in the pelvic girdle. Every time I heaved, I could hear the grinding of the bones, incredible pain, and yelled like a bugger. Finally the idiots gave me gravol and all was well. These days, gravol is automaticaly mixed in the morphine solution.
