I have been told by an orthopedist in the past that I have a defect in which the lower leg bone is connected to the foot bone. I mean fused, in a way it’s not supposed to be. He said this usually causes flat feet, but mine aren’t that flat. They are long and flattish, though. My brother couldn’t march in the army and had to be discharged due to shin splints, so maybe he had the same defect. Does anybody know what I’m talking about?
I used to have really bad shin splints, now I haven’t had them in nearly two years.
Why not? Simple. Just buy some really thick socks. 100% cotton, or even better specialist sports socks with a deep cushioned sole. And even then, wear two pairs when running or working out. Havent had them since I started doing this.
It sounds almost too simple, but it works like a charm.
trupa - Thankfully, I already buy my shoes at a running store. I can’t imagine what my shin splints would be like if I didn’t :eek:. When I bought my most recent pair, I told them I was having bad shin splints and they recommended accordingly.
I will be picking up thick socks and muscle cream this week…
That was certainly my problem. I got them really, really bad when I joined the Army. An instructor taught me some stretches, and kaboom, problem solved.
Maybe I’m being an idiot here–but why run at all? Running hurt my legs too (not sure if I had shin splints exactly, but I was in pain) so I got an elliptical machine. I love it.
Well, they don’t hold many elliptical machine marathons, for one.
I had bad shin splints as a runner, and then I discovered I had very, very high arches. Try arch inserts. With arch inserts, the weight actually distributed evenly across my feet and the splints went away gradually.
Orthotics were mentioned earlier in this thread and I wanted to reiterate that one. My best friend makes orthotics for a living and he’s of the opinion that everyone should have them – anyone I know who has orthotics is pretty much addicted to 'em and won’t go anywhere without 'em (trupa, if you want the name, let me know – he mostly works out of Arbour Lake. featherlou’s orthotics were built by him). Anyway, your typical shoe is designed to fit your typical foot and unless your foot conforms exactly to that typical shape, the shoe won’t give you the proper support. The proper padding and structure placed in the shoe can also do wonders for reducing or eliminating shin splints.
My friend also recommends replacing your shoes at least annually – the rubber in the soles loses its flexibility over time and you end up walking on an overly hard surface, so you have to plan to replace those running shoes pretty regularly, even if they still look all shiny and new.
I second this if the above exercises don’t seem to help.
“Shin splints” are actually a symptom and can be caused by a few different conditions, most are related to biomechanical issues (something wrong with your gait). Most often traction forces from the muscles irritating the sheath around the bone. When that’s the case, you usually feel the discomfort on the inside of the shin more than the outside. If it’s a gait issue cause by over pronation, over supination, or sometimes fallen arches, orthodics can help immensely.
I ran for a few years with no problems, then one season I got exercise induced Compartmental Pressure Syndrome (you have to scroll down to where it talks about “chronic” since my issue was not about a blow). In my case, I was feeling the shin pain all over the front of my leg, with the pain increasing while I was running, but if I stopped and stood still for several minutes the pain would abate. The pain would start feeling better if I rested even a couple minutes, but once I started moving again, it would hurt again until it cramped so bad I had to give up.
My orthodics have eliminated the problem altogether. But I did have to stop training for a couple months and massage was also prescribed to help smooth out the fascia (muscle sheath) and I have to pay more attention to hydration. I still have some issues running on pavement though, but that’s usually resolved by sticking with a regimen of stretching (a LOT, like almost a half-hour of stretching before and after my run).
I was having shin and knee and foot problems back when I was running a lot. I finally broke down and went to a professional running store. The guy there taught me how to wrap my feet, and also divined that I need extra support on the outside edges of my feet. I was a bit dubious, but damn if he wasn’t right. I got a pair of shoes with more support on the outside edges and my problems improved drastically.
So, I second finding a professional running store if you’re having problems.
I am currently battling shin splints. More exercises to try - get a theraband (or any other exercise band. Use it to provide resistance while you flex your foot outwards thrity times, now inward, then down, then tie it off to a doorknob or something and do it again flexing upward.
This will help strengthen the muscle and eventually (hopefully) eliminate the shin splint. For current pain, rest, ICE and some ibuprophen.
Good luck - I see a physio twice a week for treatment right now and am hoping to run a half marathon this summer.
If I can beat these things.
i also have high arches. i can only run comfortably in sand or dirt. i rarely feel the arch supports in shoes or sneakers. i had to have orthotics made so the arch support would indeed touch and support my arches.
try seeing a podiatrist to have your feet and gait checked out. due to my high arches i run mostly on the ball of my foot and toes. that leads to a lot of pain.
i only run if i’m in mortal danger. other non running activities are more than enough.