If you've ever experienced shin splints then you know they are no fun and can really put a damper on your running schedule. The good news is that they aren't usually serious. The bad news is that when it comes to healing them, time is the best medicine. Here are some good tips on dealing with shin splints:
- Most shin splints will benefit from plenty of rest. You should not exercise for at least a week, and take a break of at least two-to-four weeks from running.
- Ice the injury for 20 minutes, at least twice a day. (I like to use the Cryocup.)
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort.
- For stress fractures, diagnosed by a doctor, at least a month's rest is required. You should not run or exercise during that time.
Comme des Garcons
Rupert Sanderson
Ikks
I've heard these are brutal.
1I sort of get shin splints when I haven't ran for awhile. "Slow and steady" is my motto. It also helps to increase the incline to at least 1 if you are on a treadmill. Flat surfaces are evil.
2I used to get shin splints - and the culprit I found a lot of the times - were bad shoes. If you have badly fitted shoes for running or any other sport shoes - you will get shin splints and other bad injuries! Always get properly fitted shoes and this should help stop shin splints!
3I did get properly fitted shoes and I've been getting shin splints now. I just think my body is like WHAAAAA!!! I've never really run before and it sucks I have to take that much time off. Ive also found that walking backwards helps to stretch them a bit.
4bummer
omg, I used to get these all the time. It's frustrating because it can put you out of commission for days then you're back to square one with your cardio. I wasn't stretching properly, but it's a difficult area to stretch!
5I am prone to getting shin splints which means I have to go to the gym and do the elliptical rather than going running. It seems tedious but warming up your shins by walking on your heels and then walking on your toes really helps. Also stay away from running on concrete...trails, dirt, sand, and asphalt even are better than the side walk...you just have to be careful of cars.
6Great tips, but (as previous posts have mentioned) correct fitting shoes is where its at in terms of preventative. I overpronate which can be a main culprite for shin splints. I started wearing Asics about 10 years ago and have been happy. The 2100 series is good and the Foundation (which I wear now) is great for pronators. If you have a good running store, they should have the expertise to fit you properly. I recommend to people to go even if you are not a runner. There's nothing worse then the achy pain of shin splints and the like!
72-4 weeks break from running? I used to get shin splints all the time when I played soccer, but I just kept going.
8One of the best things you can do for shin splits is to stretch your calves! I took a sports medicine class in high school and that was one of the tips that seemed to help the most.
9I just stop running, walk for a bit, and stretch, and that seems to help. I have metal in my right ankle so i'm always putting more weight on my left leg, which causes my shin splints.. stretching as soon as you feel one coming on usually helps fine but I do find that my left calf hurts for a few days after I run =(
10I used to get them when I played basketball. I got them my freshman/sophomore year and played through it, but my senior year of high school they turned into stress fractures and I was sidelined on and off for the entire season. It was terrible. I'd be running sprints and my coach would force me to sit out. A good pair of shoes is definitely important in preventing shin splints.
11I don't run, I job about 5 times a week. I am perfectly fine all week, although, when I go to my weekly friday nights at Disneyland, my shins start to hurt. It only happens at Disneyland! lol.
12what the heck are shin splints? o.O they sound painful. . .
13I am training for the Flora London Marathon looking to get a time sub-three hours. I have had problems with shin splints. I tried running through the pain, it only made it worse. I changed my shoes about 4 months to the event and it helped for about 3 weeks, then they came back. If you keep running on splints the time it takes for the pain to come during training gets less and less. At first i would get splints at 15 miles, then 13, then 7, and now it hurts just walking. I have less that 3 weeks to the marathon. My mum is a physiotherapist and she has told me to rest.
I have decided to get stuck into swimming and cycling, keep the cardio up and possibly do some intensity training in the gym.
Best of luck to you all running, the key is rest, you can't run through this sucker!
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