f***N'! Shin Splints

[kyjelly]

What to do? Any good prevention methods? Anything will help. Thanks.

[SwoleCat]

How/when do you get them? Running?

I don't run, so I dunno how people get them.

~SC~

[kyjelly]

Yeah running. Some guy told me to run it off, lol, but it hurt like a mother! I just stopped, cuz I couldnt take it. Like someone stabbing my shin. I dont get them too often, but today was a sick one....

[SwoleCat]

I'd refrain from running. If I remember correctly, u are bulking too right?
Don't wanna go runnin' off that lean mass either brutha.

~SC~

[industywetrusty]

What to do? Any good prevention methods? Anything will help. Thanks.

Ok pavement is obviously bad for your shins, so avoid that tread mills are easier on you legs but bikeing and the eliptical machines are the best low impact... If you have shin splints now the best thing you can do is bike or the eliptical, running will only worsen them never psuh through shin splints. Finding better shoes will help as well. Meanwhile take ib profin to help the swelling... and one method my old trainer gave me was to ice to do this... take a dixie cup and fill it with water let it freeze, then rip it a quarter of the way down, press it up against your shin hard and move it up and down for 10 minutes, seems like a long time but it will help. to stretch it press your foot up against the wall.... best hing for it is rest though...

[SuperChicken1]

Preventing shin splints... take a hand towel and lay it out on a smooth floor. Sit in a chair with your tooes just over the edge of the towel in front of you. Now try to roll the towel up using your toes... usually you just scoot it under your feet. That is how we did it in cross country also the softer the surface you run on the less likely you are to develop shin splints from bad to best... Concrete, asphalt, dirt, grass, (sand?).



SC1

[robkesl]

no rememdy really works, but there are things you can do to aleviate some of the discomfort,

get a good pair of running shoes,
avoid treadmills and running on pavement,
try running on grass or even a gravel/dirt road(like at a park)
stretch before and after( specially the shin and ankles)
ive read that strengthing calf and shin muscles can help,
ice/rub afterward,
try not to run every damn day,

ive even read about a new type of running you can actually do, its not that hard to pick up but it takes some practice, instead of running with the toes then ball of your foot hitting the ground first, followed by the heel,

run with your heel hitting the ground first followed by the rest of the foot, it takes pressure OFF the shin. its kinda funky, but with practice it can be done,

other than that, theres not much, just bite your lip and run through it, it sucks. some people get it some people dont, it can just pick you, i get them, and my friend whose same height and weight and general size doesnt.
good luck

[kyjelly]

cool, thanks ev1!

[~fuelforfire~]

you know it has a lot to do with shoes, i dont get them in my running shoes but walking around in my normal shoes, **** i can only walk like 5 minutes, sucks big time man.

[WEBB]

there is a great remedy actually...go to a vetrinary or even some bigger drug stores and ask for a liquid called horse litamint (sp)....it is a rub on oitment and it is used on race horses and long distance runners...works amazing...i used it when i had growing pains...best stuff in the owrld...smells terrible...

[novastepp]

you can wrap your shins tight with gauze or something of the sort. even those leg wraps you see pro basketball players wearing now work. it basically just alleviates the discomfort to a tolerable level if you are sprinting. but i seldom sprint anymore seeing as though my track career is done.

[kyjelly]

you can wrap your shins tight with gauze or something of the sort. even those leg wraps you see pro basketball players wearing now work. it basically just alleviates the discomfort to a tolerable level if you are sprinting. but i seldom sprint anymore seeing as though my track career is done.

What are they called exactly and where can I get them? Im gonna look into that. Thanks.

[helium3]

ive found that i only get/got shin splints with shite footwear,theyve got to be good i run in nike air rift they are the biz.

[JohnboyF]

I get terrible shin splits doing a fast walk on a incline

Speed 4.3
incline 15

yesterday was so unberable i hadto get off to do the bike instead1 Does it make diffrence what you do?

[Homeguard]

Shin splints is a colloquial term which refers to pain in the anterior and medial areas of the lower leg. It is any pain below the knee, above the ankle, other than in the calf. It may be compared to the word headache, which is any pain above the base of the skull, and behind the face.

Mechanisms of Shin Muscle Injury
The purpose of the muscles of the anterior shin is to dorsiflex the foot (raise the toe). It may not be obvious why a muscle which raises the toe can be stressed or injured by running, given that it is not responsible for propulsion. The reason is that unskilled runners overstride, and land heavily on the heel with each footstrike. When this happens, the forefoot rapidly slaps down to the ground. Effectively, the foot, which is dorsiflexed prior to making contact with the ground, is forcefully extended. This forceful extension of the toe causes a corresponding rapid stretch in the attached muscles. A reflex in the muscles responds, causing a powerful contraction. It is this eccentric contraction which leads to muscle soreness and possible injury to the muscle, tendon or connective tissue.

In a similar way, pronation of the foot during the footstrike can also cause pain in the muscles which oppose pronation, on the inside of the shin. Pronation is a flattening of the arch, which happens rapidly during a running footstrike. The degree of pronation varies with the individual. It is determined by factors such as the height of the arch (a higher arch has more clearance for pronation than a low arch) and the flexibility of the arch.

It is also commonly believed that contributing cause of shin muscle pain in some cases is the relative weakness of the muscles on the anterior of the lower leg compared to those in the calf. In this case exercises that preferentially strengthen the anterior muscles may help alleviate or avoid shin splints. The shin pain is attributed to a forced extension of the muscle, in this case by the opposing calf muscles which "overpower" the shin.


Treatments and Remedies

Acute treatment
The immediate treatment for shin splints is rest. Running and other strenuous lower limb activities should be avoided until the pain subsides and is no longer elicited by activity. In conjunction with rest, anti-inflammatory treatments such as icing and drugs such as NSAIDs may be suggested by a doctor or trainer, though there is some controversy over their effectiveness.


Training
Like any muscle, the muscles of the anterior shin can be trained for greater static and dynamic flexibility through adaptation, which will diminish the contracting reflex, and allow the muscles to handle the rapid stretch. The key to this is to stretch the shins regularly. However, static stretching might not be enough. To adapt a muscle to rapid, eccentric contractions , it has to acquire greater dynamic flexibility as well. One way to work on the dynamic flexibility of the anterior shin is to subject it to exaggerated stress, in a controlled way. If the muscle is regularly subject to an even greater dynamic, eccentric contraction than during the intended exercise, it will become more capable of handling the ordinary amount of stress. Experienced long-distance runners practice controlled downhill running as a part of training, which places greater eccentric loads on the quadriceps as well as on the shins. A professional trainer or coach, or perhaps a sports medicine doctor, should be consulted before engaging in this type of training.

Form
The long-term remedy for muscle-related pain in the shin is a change in the running style to eliminate the overstriding and heavy heel strike.

Most competitive runners do not strike the ground heel first. Sprinting is performed on the toes, as is middle-distance running. In long-distance running, the footstrike should be flat, though some elite long-distance runners will retain their forefoot strike acquired from years of competing in track-and-field.

Footwear
Stress on the shin muscles can also be somewhat alleviated by footwear and choice of surface. Runners who strike heavily with the heel should look for shoes which provide ample rearfoot cushioning. Such shoes may be referred to as as "stability" or "motion control" shoes. The so-called "neutral" shoes for bio-mechanically efficient runners may not have adequate support in the heel, because the runners for whom these shoes are intended do not require it. When their cushioning capability degrades, the shoes should be replaced. The commonly recommended replacement interval for shoes is 500 miles or 800 kilometers. Excessive pronation can be reduced by extra supports under the arch. Running shoes which have a significant supporting bump under the arch are called "motion control" shoes, because they work by limiting the pronating motion. Also shoes with cushion shock features and shoe inserts can help prevent further problems.

[spywizard]

Nice read..

Mine were so bad i had an MRI to determine if i had hairline fractures.. (I did), but really bad shine splints as well..

simple exercise..

use a wall (or fence, step) put the toe against the wall, up the wall at a severe angle, bend the knee and push it towards the wall, this stretches out the muscles that cause the pain..

since i started doing this, no more issues..

[novastepp]

What are they called exactly and where can I get them? Im gonna look into that. Thanks.

hahaha, i have no freakin idea. i don't get them bad enough that i have to do anything except stretch a little and warm up. i just know a lot of buddies that use them on the bball team here for that reason. sorry bud.