# Shin splints?



## titmouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I have started to run in order to get myself ready for the academy and have developed shin splints. As of now I have taken a break from running. Have you have any experience with shin splints yourself? how did you overcome it?


----------



## mycrofft (Feb 9, 2014)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints
Had them in Basic. On own time, walked on soft surfaces. Didn't lace boots up so snugly. NSAIDs for sleep.
See your doc and your instructors since this can be allied with potentially serious conditions such as stress fractures.


----------



## Akulahawk (Feb 9, 2014)

Shin splints can be a sign of increasing your mileage too quickly. Your anterior tibialis muscle develops microtears right where it meets the tibia from the increased stress. That was the basic theory of what was going on about 15 years ago. Treatment is relatively simple, but it can be a nagging problem if you don't allow it to heal completely. You may not necessarily need to stop training, but certainly slow down! 

As mycrofft has indicated, if it doesn't heal or start to improve relatively quickly after beginning treatment for it, you could have a stress fracture instead.


----------



## titmouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Definitely gonna chill with the running for a couple and do some walking. Thanks for the insight.


----------



## mycrofft (Feb 9, 2014)

I think Akulahawk will agree the is not one of those conditions where you try to "stretch it out". Pain its Mother Nature's way to scream down the hall 

"Knock that the heck off, whydoncha?!".


----------



## Akulahawk (Feb 10, 2014)

Correct... you do NOT try to stretch this kind of injury out. That could cause further injury if you're not careful. Compression, medication, cryotherapy (done right), and temporarily reducing mileage all help. Basically, you're looking to reduce inflammation.


----------



## STXmedic (Feb 10, 2014)

I've been running competitively since I was 12, and am all too familiar with them. 

The three most common causes that I've experienced and had my trainers explain to me:
-Too far or too fast too quickly.
-Failure to warm up or cool down and stretch after a run (not just calves- everything)
-Improperly fitted shoes

The last one is extremely common, especially in newer runners. If you over-pronate and run in a neutral or supinator's shoe, you are _begging_ for shin splints. Similarly, if the shoe you are wearing is too narrow, you're asking for trouble; or even wearing a shoe made for pronators that just isn't supportive enough in the arch. Go to a running store (not a sports store, a running store) and have them evaluate your stride and foot strike. You _may_ be able to eliminate your problem with a simple change of shoes. 

You can most definitely still run with them (I've battled them the majority of the last 14 years, as well as many of my teammates), but try and take it easy on speed and increase distance slowly (general rule of thumb is to not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% per week). Don't even worry about speed. You don't need it for the academy. Just finish your distances. When you do run, try and do some dynamic stretching/warm ups first, and then start your run slowly (your first mile or two should ideally be your slowest of the run).

Typically the shin splints will be achey and mildly painful/discomfortable until they warm up. If they cause you significant discomfort throughout the entirety of the run, take a couple days off and just do some strength training.

Wrapping your shins will help with the pain during activity (some people like KT tape, others prefer a tight ace bandage or actual athletic tape and prewrap).

Search for preventative strength training for shin splints (typically done with resistance bands or a towel). These seem to help quite a bit if you stay consistent with it.

There are videos on techniques for massaging your shins out with ice. Whether you try this or not is up to you. I've done it for as long as I can remember and it works great. Forewarning though, it hurts like hell.

I also have a sports massage therapist who specializes in Active Release Techniques. That guy/that stuff is magic, and it typically only runs 40-50 per session, with three sessions usually entirely eliminating the problem (not just MTSS, but just about any running ailment). That may be a bit more than what you're looking for, albeit it will help.

I didn't intend on belaboring as much as I did, but I could talk about any and all aspects of running for hours  Hopefully you find at least one piece in here helpful.


----------



## STXmedic (Feb 10, 2014)

Akulahawk said:


> Correct... you do NOT try to stretch this kind of injury out.



Since when? That's been one of the staples of everything I've ever heard on MTSS, and I've had the privilege of having some damn good trainers and PTs.


----------



## Handsome Robb (Feb 10, 2014)

He just says it hurts like hell cause he's a pansy. 

Get some ice on there, get your roommate to go get the rolling pin and roll that :censored::censored::censored::censored: out! 

In all seriousness shin splints are a pain in the ***.


----------



## STXmedic (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm no pansy! I enjoy the pain! You know how I like it, Robby  :rofl:


----------



## Anjel (Feb 10, 2014)

STXmedic said:


> I'm no pansy! I enjoy the pain! You know how I like it, Robby  :rofl:




Dirty....


----------



## Handsome Robb (Feb 10, 2014)

Anjel said:


> Dirty....




Justin is a Pretty Boy so it's ok


----------



## Akulahawk (Feb 10, 2014)

STXmedic said:


> Since when? That's been one of the staples of everything I've ever heard on MTSS, and I've had the privilege of having some damn good trainers and PTs.


Stretching them _properly_ isn't a problem and is indeed therapeutic and is a preventative measure. _Properly_ is the key word. It's very easy to improperly do it and think you're doing OK. If you've had someone instruct you in proper stretching and strength techniques for MTSS, you'll do quite well. In your specific case, it sounds like you got that education and still have access to the right people for ensuring you're still doing well.


----------



## Akulahawk (Feb 10, 2014)

STXmedic said:


> The three most common causes that I've experienced and had my trainers explain to me:
> -Too far or too fast too quickly.
> -Failure to warm up or cool down and stretch after a run (not just calves- everything)
> -Improperly fitted shoes


Going too far too soon and improperly fitted shoes that allow the wearer too much pronation are extremely common. You're very right about having a serious runner go to an actual RUNNING store and not a SHOE store that sells running shoes. 

Watching the gait/stride, examining the foot, and even checking the wear patterns of the shoe and insole can be very helpful in minimizing the potential for development of shin splints. 

Personally, I would put "failure to warm up" into the "too far, too soon" category because the body hasn't been effectively primed for strenuous activity. It's during the cool-down phase that improper stretching can easily occur. Your brain is pretty well flooded with endorphins, so you might not notice that you're stretching too much. In any event, most of the damage has already been done during the exercise bout. A nice cool-down permits the body to slow down from activity, keep the capillary beds open and continue flushing out cellular waste. 

In my own very humble opinion, the body was built and meant to move. I suspect that many of our diseases have a "hypokinetic" component to them, meaning that being sedentary contributes to the problem rather than removes/relieves the problem. Injury is a whole different issue, but even then during recovery, you MUST move so that you ultimately get the strongest possible tissue repair.


----------



## STXmedic (Feb 10, 2014)

Fair enough


----------

