Hey guys...
lately I've been getting some pretty severe pain in both of my shins, usually on the inside. The pain is like right on the bone and it hurts like hell to run.
I've been running lately, like three times a week. So I took about a week off to see if the pain would go away, but it didn't really. I've just been poppin' pain meds and running anyway. But are these shins splints or what? Anyone have any recommendations to rid them?
Lose weight, fat ass.
You wouldn't tow a 40 ft. boat with a VW Golf.
hey---i'm a student athletic trainer so i'll say what i know......ice them(with ice cups if you have them),get good shoes, run on smooth surface(not cement), and their are exercises you can do to help them ease the pain, but i can't really explain it without showing it....i have them too---if your running to help cardio for mma, stop....their are other ways to get your cardio better without long running and will be better on shins....plus mma is not long distance(sprints are more useful)...try one of those stairmaster type machines and see if they hurt....try jumprope but if you got it like me jump roping kills also...hope i helped a little
Yep you got shin splints. You need rest and do tha stuff johnduke said.
Get them checked out as well. I ended up have stress fracture from running on cement 4 days a week for 7 months.
Just use the eliptical machine at the gym, but make sure to go longer and at a higher intensity than you would while running because it's quite a bit easier. I cut running out completely for about 2 months and the shin splints were totally gone. I throw some jumprope into the routine now and then and so far it hasn't been an issue.
johnduke215 is correct, grab some Dixie Cups, fill them half way with water, and stick a few in the freezer. At the end of your run, rip the tops off and ice your shins, (while holding the bottom of the cup, rub the ice block up/down your shin).
To help avoid shin splints, practice walking on your heals while you are at home. This will built some muscle in your shins.
Avoid hard surfaces at all costs. Cement is the worse, asphalt is bad too (but not as bad as cement.) Run on dirt, and/or grass.
Invest in some decent running shoes. (They don't have to be expensive, just don't go out and run in dress shoes....you get the idea.)
superfeet.com
Specifically, is the pain coming from inside your shin, or from the very front muscle running along the shin bone? If the pain comes from inside, myofascial release (the best technique available for muscular pain) and icing won't really help, as you're dealing with overactivity in your posterior tibialis muscle. If the pain comes from the outside, then those techniques will help as you're dealing with the anterior tibialis.
Since you mentioned "inside" I can recommend stretching the muscle, and I'll make a GIF really quick to demonstrate...
Kyle, I usually drink the pain off, but you know me :)
I used to get them when I weighed 220-230 lbs. Since I've dropped the weight, I haven't had a problem. Now around 185lbs.
The Poster Tibialis helps give one's foot an arch... if the muscle is underactive people usually have a flattened foot and the ankle tends to roll inwards (common in overweight individuals).
Strengthening the muscle is part of the solution but initially there may be excessive stress and in turn pain in the muscle. Here's a GIF to help alleviate the pain and help return the muscle closer it's ideal capacity:
btw Kyle if you're not feeling pain inside the shin then the there's something else going on, i.e. this stretch wouldn't apply
Thanks for the answers guys... and 1)I'm not fat, so weight isn't the issue 2) Yeah the pain is like right on the bone, above the INside ankle. I have running shoes, and I run on a track. I usually do sprints too but lately I've been running slower 3 milers...
I'm trying all the stuff you guys mentioned, thanks very much.
As a former profound SHin SPlit sufferer....
1.) Rest and Ice - if you're in training, substitute low/no impact cardio.
2.) More ice. Ice massage coupled with refreezable ice packs (stick them in your socks.)
3.) Have a running show professional evaluate your gate and stride. Get the right kind of shoes for your impact type - with strong cutioning.
4.) Get evaluated for orthodics. Orthodics can make a HUGE difference.
5.) STRETCH alot - ankle, calves, etc. before and after running.
6.) Try to run off-pavement, but on stable surfaces (dirt roads, etc.)
7.) Develop your stride. Focus on developing a consistant stride and strike and on minimizinf heel impact.
Good luck.
Here's the best tip ever....
LEARN HOW TO RUN
Chi Running by Danny Dwyer.
Changed my running life. No more injuries... EVER.
I had them in High school. Ice them down and take an aspirin. Take time off until it goes away.
ttt
ttt
Kyle, have you been doing a lot of kicking lately, i.e. more than usual?
The reason I ask, the Posterior Tibialis assists in placing one's kicking foot into a flush position for impact(see below), clearing the way for the tibia, i.e. shin bone, to land...
I'd argue that constantly kicking (without prior conditioning to the muscles involved) could easily lead to shin splits, and that might be the reason why there's so many threads on this board about them.
The Posterior & Anterior Tib are stabilizing, slow-twitch-dominant muscles and they take much longer to develop/heal than the larger, more powerful muscles. The thing is, the Post. Tib's concentric purpose is to plantarflex and invert the foot, as seen above, but it's not built plantarflex the foot exclusively -- the Gastrocnemious and Soleus (aka the calve muscles) are supposed to bear the brunt of that task.
Regarding your shin splints, the Post Tib could be getting over-recruited in the plantarflexion process given your foot is turning inwards slightly as it extends; in other words, repetition of this action could lead to the Post Tib becoming synergistically-dominant in trying to extend the foot. For muscular recruitment synergistic dominance is habitual, meaning it would be over-used in other activities as well. Our feet do a done of work as is, and stresses activities like running will further compound the impairment, and make the healing process much more difficult.
So, specifically, try to back off whatever exercises are putting your foot in this position Lay off any kicking, do an elliptical or arc trainer for cardio (instead of running), and perform the stretch posted above whenever possible. You should feel less pain immediately and you should be fully healed in a week or two
I second the chi-running to get rid of the shin splints...
more specifically, run with your feet aligned straight ahead and come down on the balls of your feet with a slightly foward lean to your run.
chi-running advises coming down flat on your feet, but landing on the balls of your feet is better, more shock absorption.
I had the same pain on the inside of my shin and it hurt like hell. I would ice them after every run but it felt like there's a muscle or tendon that was really hurting. It went away but come back sometimes. Icing didn't do shit. I ran on a track the other day and right away they started to hurt so I stopped.