Shin splints.

[hzl eyed grl]

I always wondered why the front of my leg hurt when I walked. I finally learned that I have shin splints. For those of you that have them, what do you do to help it? Creams? Ice? Stretching? Pushing the muscle a little to acclimate it to more exercise? How long will it take to get better? :|

 

[The Stigenator]

yeah i got them.. and my old roomie had it badly.. you got to warm up properly before running.. i usually stretch, and then walk about 1/2 a mile to a mile before i kick in my work out routine.

the only thing you can do is warm up the muscles.

Edit: I do 5 minutes of stretching (leg curls, stretchs) - you will feel the burn.. then walk about 1/2 mile and then ramp up to a full fledged run on the tread mill.. if you are not on a treadmill but going for a jog, make sure you warm up properly. the colder the air temp, the more warm up you need.

Sometimes i just run up and down the stairs for a few minutes and that warms me up.

 

[Xylitol]

I never get them but some of my football friends do. Icing it can help a lot

 

[ric1287]

Had them really bad (like couldn't walk bad) after i got fat and started playing bball again. 2 things fixed them for me:

1: good, arch support shoe inserts
2: ice + therabands

 

[Balt]

Get yourself some good shoes, specifically for your type of arch.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Manjul - I don't run or jog. Right now it's too much stress on my joints, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to. (Hopefully I will.) All I have to do is just walk briskly on the damn treadmill and it starts up. I got a knee brace for my "bad" knee, so that's better. Now I've just got to get over the shin splint crap. Warming up will be something I need to add to my regime. Right now I'm stuck on the stationary bike. Although, it's giving my quads a great workout and I need to get them in better shape to help with my knees.

Xylitol - Thanks. I've got some ice packs that I'll try next time it starts to act up again.

I went out and got some tennis shoes that were better too. I got some Saucony's. I'd never heard of them, but the guy at Big 5 said they were pretty good for running. (Even though I'm just trying to walk for now.) They feel way better for me than my old shoes do. :thumbsup:

 

[TheVrolok]

I used to get 'em when I played football, a few ibuprofen and they wouldn't bother me.

 

[mwmorph]

It's slow to heal and other than take it easy on your calves and possibly orthopedics if you need them, theres nothing you can do to cure it. You can TREAT it by taking painkillers, but that doesn't help the tears.

I used to have them and though its annoying its not really that bad for you unless it gets VERY serious.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Balt
Get yourself some good shoes, specifically for your type of arch.

This is what I was going to say. I've had shin splints before from running and it ended up being attributed to my sneakers.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Ice.

And more than likely, it's your sneakers. How old are they? Based on your foot, you may be wearing an inappropriate sneaker type.

 

[Gibsons]

Rest, Ice and Ibuprofen. Pay attention to your form when you walk or run - do you land on your heel? If so, try to land more forward on your foot, take shorter strides.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: Xylitol
I never get them but some of my football friends do. Icing it can help a lot

Yea, when i had them ice helped loads, had it gone in a week.. It helps with the inflammation.. Maybe an anti-inflammatory will help too like asprin or something.

 

[ATLien247]

I got them back when I played HS football due the to crappy pair of cleats I had not having any arch support.

 

[jtusa]

Go to a shoe store that does a gait analysis and fits a proper pair of shoes that's designed for your foot/ankle type. I had custom inserts/orthotics made by a podiatrist and they didn't do a thing for, in fact, I'm convinced they made the problem worse. The magic fixes for me were the shoes (I noticed an instant improvement with the new shoes), icing down my shins after every run whether they hurt or not, and slowing down my running pace a little until my legs toughened up.

As was stated before warming up is important, 5-10 minute walk before you run. Stretching is important as well, but don't stretch until after your muscles are warmed up (after your warm-up walk or a few minutes into your run), and be sure to stretch very well afterwards, before your muscles cool down again. Make sure you figure out what's causing the splints too. For me it's my feet, I have freakishly high arches.

 

[jtusa]

Originally posted by: hzl eyed grl
Manjul - I don't run or jog. Right now it's too much stress on my joints, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to. (Hopefully I will.) All I have to do is just walk briskly on the damn treadmill and it starts up. I got a knee brace for my "bad" knee, so that's better. Now I've just got to get over the shin splint crap. Warming up will be something I need to add to my regime. Right now I'm stuck on the stationary bike. Although, it's giving my quads a great workout and I need to get them in better shape to help with my knees.

Xylitol - Thanks. I've got some ice packs that I'll try next time it starts to act up again.

I went out and got some tennis shoes that were better too. I got some Saucony's. I'd never heard of them, but the guy at Big 5 said they were pretty good for running. (Even though I'm just trying to walk for now.) They feel way better for me than my old shoes do. :thumbsup:

Haha, I got Saucony's too. They're like sex on my feet. By far the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever worn.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: jtusa
Go to a shoe store that does a gait analysis and fits a proper pair of shoes that's designed for your foot/ankle type. I had custom inserts/orthotics made by a podiatrist and they didn't do a thing for, in fact, I'm convinced they made the problem worse. The magic fixes for me were the shoes (I noticed an instant improvement with the new shoes), icing down my shins after every run whether they hurt or not, and slowing down my running pace a little until my legs toughened up.

As was stated before warming up is important, 5-10 minute walk before you run. Stretching is important as well, but don't stretch until after your muscles are warmed up (after your warm-up walk or a few minutes into your run), and be sure to stretch very well afterwards, before your muscles cool down again. Make sure you figure out what's causing the splints too. For me it's my feet, I have freakishly high arches.

My sister has never had shin splints since she went to a running specialty store and got fitted with proper shoes for her feet and her gait. That was years ago, she's running the Chicago Marathon this Sunday. I believe it's her third or fourth.

I also got a pair of Saucony running shoes, they're awesome.

 

[DaShen]

lose weight is the best option.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: DaShen
lose weight is the best option.

:roll:

Anyone can get splints regardless of weight.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: DaShen
lose weight is the best option.

Wrong. Improper footwork can cause shin splints even for marathon athletes.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

Well like I said....the old tennis shoes were bad. They were sketchers and weren't tight enough around my feet, I doubt the arches were that great, and the sole wasn't really coushiny. The Saucony's feel like buttah on my feet. I'm in love with them.

And as for losing weight, I've already lost a lot. Right now all that needs to be done is toning. I know with that will come a few more pounds off, but I'm cool with just firmin' up.

Thanks for all the help, y'all.

 

[SSP]

Replaced my crappy worn out shoes and it went away.