Other for Shin Splints

I've been running competitive track for almost 10 years now and this is a recurring problem for me. I have super flat feet so this causes my foot to pronate (or flatten towards the inside) more than the regular person. This in turn stresses my Tibialis Posterior muscle (muscle that runs just to the inside of your shin or rather, tibia).

Anyways I've found that what kept me going through workouts wasn't meds (actally stopped taking them after I started doing this), but here is what I found work:

• Always, always, ALWAYS, ice for 10 mins on/10 mins off after a workout. Do this about 2-3 times. This slows down the nerve conduction which decreases pain and also vasoconstricts the area to prevent any swelling that may occur from irritation/micro tears. I prefer to fill a bucket with water and ice and just dive in up to my knees.

• Stretch your calves everywhere and anywhere you go. Tightness in your calves can also contribute to shin pain

• Heat is secondary, but becomes more important if the problem becomes chronic. Do the same as with the ice but with hot water to also reduce pain but also to loosen up the tissue.

• This last part is where things really got exponentially better, but at the expense of short term pain...
  Strip the crud out of that Tib Post. Ever had a proper massage? Not one of those where the guy/girl lightly pokes you and bam you're done. I'm talking the kind where you're stripping the muscle and fascia in order to break down scar tissue. This is what I did all the time. It works way better in the shower since you can sit down and use a bit of body soap as a lubricant, but if you take your thumb and just run it down the inside of your shin. It WILL hurt, but you're deeply massaging that muscle which in conjunction with the heat from the shower will help to not only break up and loosen that tissue, but also promotes blood flow the area which in turn promotes healing

The last part gets extremely painful, but after you step out of the shower or wherever, you honestly feel like a million bucks. (At least I did).

I get bad shin splints but cause I play rugby, I just gotta deal with it. What's helped the most is to ice them in the morning, after working out, and before bed, along with ibuprofen 800 3x daily. I've used those compression sleeves too, but I think that's mainly placebo. When they get bad I can't squat, but can still deadlift oddly enough. If it's available, getting some ART work might help too. That was one of the more painful sessions I've had done, but you try it all to get shit fixed

Other than eliminating "heel strike" (running on your heels) there are a few things that are really helpful. I run track and got shin splints a little over a year ago and the only things I have found to really help with the pain is ice messages and KT tape. If you can get your hands on any disposable paper cups fill them with water (not all the way full) and put them in the freezer (I like to make 12 or so ata time). Then after every run, take one out, rip off the bottom, and message the area of pain. It really helps to push deep with the ice making sure to message the muscle. Additionally, if you drop by any CVS you can pick up KT Tape which is an emmnse help with pain. The company's website has instructions for how to apply the tape for your area of pain. Just note that shin splints comes in two flavors- low and high (depending on the are if your shin that has the pain) so apply which ever method is for you. Lastly, stretching out your calves is really important and I would recommend getting a roller (google "the stick").

Seriously consider acupuncture. I was a cross country runner all through high school and after I graduated I joined the military which required more running. I had chronic shin splints the entire time. I changed shoes, had my gait analyzed, had physical therapy, even had custom orthodic inserts made and nothing worked. Researched acupuncture and was skeptical, but to my complete surprise they were gone after two treatments. Don't know how or why but that was 3 years ago and haven't had them since.

My shin splints will always come back with a vengeance if I increase my mileage too quickly or dramatically. I do all the other stuff as an extra measure (stretching, icing, rolling, etc) but none of that will stop them if I try to do more than my body is ready for.

I suffered for years. So debilitating I could hardly walk. I'm an exercise physiologist so I thought I knew exactly how to fix the problem. I tried everything I knew according to the scientific research. Footwear, ice, massage, anti-inflamms, etc etc. Whilst they helped to alleviate acute symptoms - they didn't help long-term.
Believe it or not - NUTRITION fixed my chronic problem. I know, it sounds crazy. I eliminated grains (specifically gluten) for autoimmune disease purposes and my shin splints literally disappeared. All training variables remained the same, but the shin splints went away. I think your article is great but I just thought I'd toss nutrition into the mix as another alternative for chronic sufferers.

I used to experience shin splints until one day my coach told me to loosen my laces and lo and behold, the shin splints were gone. If it's not that, then I would recommend doing some leg stretches before warming up. Otherwise maybe you should try another pair of sneakers and make sure not to tie them too tight.

Look into the so-called "chi-running" technique. I suffered from shin splints chronically every time I took up running until I used it's techniques. A YouTube search will get you a lot of info on this.

I suffered occasionally from shin splints and a runner friend suggested I loosen my laces as having them even slightly too tight could cause shin pain. Loosening them work a treat for me and I haven't suffered once since