Sore shins from running

flogen

Hey all,

Looking for a bit of advice on minimising pain in my shins when running.

I've only started regularly going for a run in the last few weeks and at the moment am going out to the Phoenix Park about 3 times a week. I tend to run 3km or so and then walk/run another 3km back to the car.

Anyway in the last few runs I've noticed my shins getting quite sore - to the point of it being uncomfortable to walk and them feeling bruised the following day(s).

It's hard to describe the feeling when I'm running but it basically feels like a really sharp, tight pain right in the middle of my shin (almost as if it's about to burst or something)

I've no idea if it's shin splints but I would have thought I'd need to be doing a lot more running for a lot longer to develop that - maybe I'm wrong, though.

Whatever it is I'm wondering what I can do to minimise it, as there have already been a few times when it's forced me to stop running before I was out of energy.

Would it be a matter of doing particular stretches and if so what are best? Could it be about the way I run or the surface I run on? How about footwear?

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

metamorphosis

It sounds like shin splints - doesnt matter how long you have been running. Immediate solution - stop running. Get to a physio and get proper professional advice.

Get your running gait analysed (a good running shop will do this) as you could also be wearing the wrong type of shoe for your biomechanics

Right now go to a physio and follow RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Work a P into that for Prevention.

AntiVirus

I had the exact same thing you have. I stopped running for about a week and bought myself a couple of shin compression sleeve. Did the exercises I found for shin splints on youtube for about a month and wore the compression sleeves for about a month too and now they've been gone for the past few months. Now I back to running the way I was before I got them

flogen

Great, thanks for that. Will take it easy until I get myself sorted for various gear (new shoes included).

newby.204

AntiVirus wrote: »

I had the exact same thing you have. I stopped running for about a week and bought myself a couple of shin compression sleeve. Did the exercises I found for shin splints on youtube for about a month and wore the compression sleeves for about a month too and now they've been gone for the past few months. Now I back to running the way I was before I got them

where did you get the compression sleeves from?

AstonMartin

The soles on your current shoes could be too hard. Try running on grass and see if there is a difference.

Transform

AstonMartin wrote: »

The soles on your current shoes could be too hard. Try running on grass and see if there is a difference.

none of the above is really going to change much unless you look up and down your chain (i.e. ankles, knees, hips) to check if you have basic mechanical faults that could be contributing to the splints also looking at running form would help lots - not to mention foam rolling and stretching

AntiVirus

newby.204 wrote: »

where did you get the compression sleeves from?

http://www.return2fitness.co.uk/supports_and_braces/calf_supports/lpshincalf

You can make them as tight or loss as you like and position them exactly where you want

flogen

AntiVirus wrote: »

I had the exact same thing you have. I stopped running for about a week and bought myself a couple of shin compression sleeve. Did the exercises I found for shin splints on youtube for about a month and wore the compression sleeves for about a month too and now they've been gone for the past few months. Now I back to running the way I was before I got them

This is perhaps a stupid question but do you still use the sleeve now, or did an extend period of doing the right exercises etc. eventually mean you could run without them?

AntiVirus

flogen wrote: »

This is perhaps a stupid question but do you still use the sleeve now, or did an extend period of doing the right exercises etc. eventually mean you could run without them?

I stopped wearing the sleeve in the middle of March. The exercises that helped me most was walking on my heels, which you can do at any time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYtutZkRiYs

Wear the sleeve when going to the gym if you're doing any kind of leg work, weights or cardio.

When I went back running I just did an easy 5km to see what it was like and I could feel it a little bit so I stopped and tightened the sleeve and I didn't feel anything for the rest of the run. Later that day my shins did feel slightly tender but nothing like they did before.

I let them rest for another 4 days and did another 5km run and they felt grand during the run and later that night but only about 90% if you know what I mean.

Now I've no problems at all!

Best thing to do is try resting and start back easy, if you feel its coming on badly again go to your physio and get them to have a look