Shin Splints

tang1

Hi all,

I got back into fitness about 2 and a half years ago, and started running about 2 years ago. My problem is for those 2 years i've suffered very badly with shin splints. I'm not looking for any advice on how to treat them or a good physio to help with them. I've done all i'm suppose to regarding treatment when they kick in but its getting very very frustrating when it seems i'm getting into a decent run of training when bang they flare up again. Its gotten to the stage where i'm contemplating giving running up as the pain at times is unbearable. Just wondering will this issue go away or will it always be there???

AntiVirus

My shin splints came on very suddenly for no apparent reason and like you I kept on running. It got to a point where it felt like I had stress fractures. I stopped running for a week and got myself some shin compression sleeves and a couple of months later they where gone. So yes they can go away.

meathcountysec

Shin splints, and their cousin, stress fractures, are overuse injuries. If they are recurring frequently look to the training stress being placed on your legs.

Increase distances/pace/time slowly and gradually to give the body time to adapt to increased load. Only increase one at a time. Conventional wisdom says a week on week increase of no more than 10%.

Keep a training log so that you can spot any patterns that may be giving rise to them.

Don't give up - nil desperandum

lasalle

get a foot strike/gait analysis done, you could be wearing the wrong type of runner if ur feet over/under pronate. this was the case with me, long rest period (a month) and new proper fitted runners did the trick for me.

shels4ever

tang1 wrote: »

Hi all,

I got back into fitness about 2 and a half years ago, and started running about 2 years ago. My problem is for those 2 years i've suffered very badly with shin splints. I'm not looking for any advice on how to treat them or a good physio to help with them. I've done all i'm suppose to regarding treatment when they kick in but its getting very very frustrating when it seems i'm getting into a decent run of training when bang they flare up again. Its gotten to the stage where i'm contemplating giving running up as the pain at times is unbearable. Just wondering will this issue go away or will it always be there???

I find that its something that you can manage but you need to learn how to deal with . I've had shin/calf problems since i've started back running a few years ago, but seem to be getting better at dealing with cause and treatment.

A few things I noticed that helped me were
1. not coming back too quick and increasing mileage too fast.
2. Intensity of run's the more fast running I do the greater the risk of problems.
3. Stretching stretching and foam roller , stretch everyday a little and have one or 2 good session a week with the foam roller, usually just after my run the day before a rest day.
4. Hydration - Running when not hydrated seems to cause problems for me
5. Hungover running - Same point as the hydration one, calf really does like doing this and can cause shin pain for me .

TheRoadRunner

shels4ever wrote: »

I find that its something that you can manage but you need to learn how to deal with . I've had shin/calf problems since i've started back running a few years ago, but seem to be getting better at dealing with cause and treatment.

A few things I noticed that helped me were
1. not coming back too quick and increasing mileage too fast.
2. Intensity of run's the more fast running I do the greater the risk of problems.
3. Stretching stretching and foam roller , stretch everyday a little and have one or 2 good session a week with the foam roller, usually just after my run the day before a rest day.
4. Hydration - Running when not hydrated seems to cause problems for me
5. Hungover running - Same point as the hydration one, calf really does like doing this and can cause shin pain for me .

+1 on all shels has said. Great advice. Have missed months in the past through shin splints and was a nightmare. Also, I find running on even ground kinder on the shins than rough terrain.

Clearlier

It took me 10 years to get to a point where I could manage to train properly but I did get there (proper orthotics). MCS's point about overuse injury is apt. Other advice about intensity and building up slowly is good. My experience of smooth terrain differs from road runner though. I found that rough terrain meant that I was constantly changing my foot position which put my shin under less stress.

Shin splints are ultimately treatable but i did go to a couple of highly recommended physios who weren't able to help. In the end it was a running shop that pointed me in the right direction!

InTheTrees

I've been doing pretty intense leg strengthening work which really seems to help.

I do at least 20 minutes of stretching legs four times a day and before and after running. 15 minutes on the stepper at high resistance plus 30 minutes on the bike four times a week. And leg machines at the gym four times a week.

corny

tang1 wrote: »

Hi all,

I got back into fitness about 2 and a half years ago, and started running about 2 years ago. My problem is for those 2 years i've suffered very badly with shin splints. I'm not looking for any advice on how to treat them or a good physio to help with them. I've done all i'm suppose to regarding treatment when they kick in but its getting very very frustrating when it seems i'm getting into a decent run of training when bang they flare up again. Its gotten to the stage where i'm contemplating giving running up as the pain at times is unbearable. Just wondering will this issue go away or will it always be there???

It took 3 and a half years for my shin splints to heal. During the period i had a load of false dawns, thinking i was healed only for the injury to recur. could hardly walk one time. Went to a specialist and he thought i had chronic compartment syndrome. Did everything i could to try right the problem and nothing worked.

I have no idea why or what changed, but now my legs are fine. I pick up niggles in the calf and knee now and again but the shins are always fine for some reason. Point is don't give up. Its the most frustrating thing i know being knocked back time after time but just keep trying to do the right thing and eventually you'll get back on track.

PDCAT

OP, I understand totally where your coming from. i keep getting reoccuring problems with my shin's as well. Seem to be ok for a few weeks/months then problem comes back again.

Then it's being rest, come back slowly, with low speed and don't increase my distance's much each week, then problem reoccurs.

Don't know where to turn. Going to give another visit to the physio this weekend, maybe go to a running shop and get gait analysis done.

Feeling like packing it all in meself and taking up cycling, even though running is what i've grown to love doing.

Very frustrating and in a bit of depressed mood at the moment.

InTheTrees

corny wrote: »

I have no idea why or what changed, but now my legs are fine.

Well the "cure" is strengthening your legs (shins,calves etc etc) right?

So presumably you've built up enough strength that the pains go away.

This is the message I got from my physio. Intensive leg strengthening, plus a lot of stretching and non-impact aerobic (bike). And it seems to be working.

A slow rehab running program is important too, you cant rush recovery.

corny

InTheTrees wrote: »

Well the "cure" is strengthening your legs (shins,calves etc etc) right?

So presumably you've built up enough strength that the pains go away.

This is the message I got from my physio. Intensive leg strengthening, plus a lot of stretching and non-impact aerobic (bike). And it seems to be working.

A slow rehab running program is important too, you cant rush recovery.

Tbh i don't know what the cure was because it was nothing i hadn't tried before. From the beginning i followed sound advice and best practice. I tried strengthening the legs, starting from scratch, taking baby step increments etc but for some reason they just wouldn't go away. Then they just vanished a while back:)

Swanner911

Been there for 3 months, got shin splints early Feb. I had to pull out of the London Marathon this April - gutted.

In the last two weeks it's just gotten better all of a sudden ( I hope!!).

When I was injuered I felt like this is me for life - mad the way your mind can feel so sorry for yourself. I did nothing except sulk for two weeks, then did a lot of cycling, swimming, leg weights, calf stretching several times a day ( just the stretching!) and then started v slow running all on grass.

Then, two weeks ago I just took a (stupid) leap of faith and did a flat out duathlon thinking what am I doing I can't run but it was ok and it's been fine ever since. Weird. Still I'm fairly cautious and try to be sensible with intensity and stay on soft surfaces if possible.

jobless

just throwing this out there but it may not be shin splints.
I thought i had shin splints for ages (not completely knowing the symptoms) but it turned out i had compartment syndrome. Might be worth going to a physio to get fully diagnosed as shin splints..

tang1

InTheTrees wrote: »

Well the "cure" is strengthening your legs (shins,calves etc etc) right?

I know your post is not aimed at me, but weak legs isn't a problem. I've plenty of strength in my thighs and calves so it makes my shin issue all the more frustrating. Was hoping to run Na Fianna/Bob Heffernan 5km this evenin for p.b but don't want to risk shins flaring up again. Haven't ran a yard on the road in nearly a month. Doing loads of work on the bike in the gym, but raring to do a few miles of running outdoors.

InTheTrees

Here's a link (it had a copyright notice so I didnt want to copy and paste it) to a rehab running program I've been doing for the last three weeks. After three months off with shin splint/calf strain:

http://www.jockdoc.ws/subs/runningrehabilitation.htm

Its slow going but I find if I push just one tiny bit too hard the pains come back in a flash.

oedipod

Think it's important to differentiate different causes of lower leg pain. All of these frequently get bundled into the same box -"shin splints" without the physio/doc/shoe-shop-employee/runner asking questions like:

1) Is the pain worse when you run or when you stop?
2) Is the pain present at rest?
3) How many days a week do you stretch?
4) Do you have pain on straight leg raise?

To be clear - most - but not all - lower leg pain that is maximal on the inside of the shin bone (tibia) where it meets the muscle (soleus / gastrocnemius) - is nothing to do with stress fractures. There is a nerve running down the inside of the calf muscles which also innervates this patch of tissue - and compression of this nerve causes pain. Mostly this compression is caused by swelling of the muscles - usually temporary. The muscles are wrapped in a cling-film like substance called fascia which prevents them just expanding when they fill with blood. Instead you get an increase in pressure in the *compartment* in which the muscle is "wrapped". This is known as a compartment syndrome by surgeons who usually deal with extreme cases - extreme like you could lose your leg - when the muscle swelling cuts off blood supply to the lower leg.

Thankfully most of us will never have or know anyone with that. - You have to "release" the compartment. This is done with a rusty knife .

However, many runners have temporary swelling caused by

1) Hypertrophy (growth) of the muscle fibers due to training
2) Increased blood flow into the muscle

Obviously , if you train loads and loads and your calf muscles get stronger and bigger then they are more likely to compress the nerve, especially if the nerve doesn't have time to develop a richer or more robust blood supply. Guess what - if you take a few weeks off the muscle will atrophy a little and allow you to re-train up the calves more slowly, giving the nerve time to develop decent blood supply and staving off the pain. (This is why compression socks work - keeping blood out of the compartment essentially).

Alternatively, some people find stretching calves and *HAMSTRINGS* (v. important) to really help. This essentially increases the elasticity of the compartment, allowing the pressure to be lower when it fills with blood (in theory). Hamstrings may be important to prevent compression of the Sciatic nerve higher up which could cause referred pain lower down.

True stress fractures are much more sinister creatures. Sharp, darting pain that stops you even walking. Nasty b*st*rds. 6 weeks total rest and no marathons for you... It's important to be aware that there are phases of demineralisation and remineralisation of the bones during training. Keep your calcium and Vit D intake high. Ease off at the slightest sign of this sort of pain. Increase training load slowly (either intensity or duration).

Boring ain't I?:) Hope this is of some use....

AntiVirus

Nice post Oedipod!

I did lots of stretching as well as rest, some exercises I found on youtube and wear the shin compression sleeves and thankfully they haven't come back. I never had any problems in the Gym on leg days, only when I was out pounding the pavement. :pac:

InTheTrees

oedipod wrote: »

Boring ain't I?:) Hope this is of some use....

Great Info, thank you!

I've been spending more and more time in the gym, getting my stretching up to about 30mins before and after running and also using the machines to gently get some strength into my legs.

If you feel pain, back off and strengthen the area and start again slowly.

Bodies take time to grow muscle so take it slow.

PDCAT

Great post oedipod.

I seem to be having issues like described in your post.

Went to physio and he said it was compartment syndrome. Since i saw him now two weeks ago i am doing a lot more exercises. (approx 30 mins per day). Seems to be helping a bit.

Basically i run, have no issues for about 3/4 hours after run. Then soreness/pain starts for rest of the evening. Go to bed, get up next morning and fine again. Very strange.

Am monitoring it each day to see if i am improving. Seems to be a little better this week. Think i will purchase shin compression sleeves over the weekend as i've read that they help.

oedipod

Stretching is great. Spent years in Martial Arts doing stretching. Never really increased my flexibility much though. Was always disappointed. Then I joined this Yoga class and an auld Indian fella hit me on the side of the head and said "Why cannod you rrrelax??", "Are you stupid". And after a couple of weeks of that I learned what he was talking about. The best evidence says that cold stretching before running actually increases injuries, probably because runners are BAD stretchers. Always antsy to start the run. Never really just sitting in the stretch. Since starting yoga I've increased my range of movement, mile-speed, decreased average heart rate on runs by learning proper breathing and become way more relaxed (dangerously so... how's my driving?)

What the auld Indian dude was talking about was there are phases of a stretch. During the first minute or so you'll find the tendon-stretch receptors firing and increasing tension in the muscle. You get an oscillation between contraction and relaxation and almost like a vibration in your leg. Then after about a minute of deep breathing (increasing parasympathetic supply) and really relaxing, the spasm goes and you start to stretch the muscle more "plastically". Nicer feeling. More effective. Go gently.

Warm up before you stretch. Get to the back of a yoga class and watch the opposite (or same - i don't discriminate) gender's bums. Find joy in stretching... don't make it a chore. Stretch with a friend.

But wouldn't I be better off running for this half hour??

Yes, in the short term. But in the long term, you'd be better preventing injury tomorrow by sensible stretching today.

Boring ain't I?

InTheTrees

oedipod wrote: »

Boring ain't I?

No, This is all invaluable information.

Regarding stretching as a core part of a workout is a hard sell but that people need to hear. And I can appreciate the similarities between stretching and yoga, i'm holding my stretching "poses" just as long as they do after all.

Hanley

oedipod wrote: »

Stretching is great. Spent years in Martial Arts doing stretching. Never really increased my flexibility much though. Was always disappointed. Then I joined this Yoga class and an auld Indian fella hit me on the side of the head and said "Why cannod you rrrelax??", "Are you stupid". And after a couple of weeks of that I learned what he was talking about

Yup… that’s a good point. Trying to force a stretch just causes your muscles to resist it and you get nowhere. The best thing you can do is just breathe and relax into it.

The best evidence says that cold stretching before running actually increases injuries,

You sure about that?

probably because runners are BAD stretchers. Always antsy to start the run. Never really just sitting in the stretch. Since starting yoga I've increased my range of movement, mile-speed, decreased average heart rate on runs by learning proper breathing and become way more relaxed (dangerously so... how's my driving?)

Yup, bad stretching will lead to bad results. But that’s not necessarily because stretching is bad.

What the auld Indian dude was talking about was there are phases of a stretch. During the first minute or so you'll find the tendon-stretch receptors firing and increasing tension in the muscle. You get an oscillation between contraction and relaxation and almost like a vibration in your leg. Then after about a minute of deep breathing (increasing parasympathetic supply) and really relaxing, the spasm goes and you start to stretch the muscle more "plastically". Nicer feeling. More effective. Go gently.

I’m very confused by that statement….. What is parasympathetic supply?

InTheTrees

oedipod wrote: »

Warm up before you stretch.

I've had trouble with this.

What kind of pre-stretch warm up is enough?

oedipod

Hanley, I'm not suggesting for a minute that stretching per se is bad (quite the opposite), just that the kind of stretching (relatively inexperienced) endurance athletes often do before a run may not be the best for either increasing ROM or their performance during that particular run. This generally entails them gritting their teeth, stretching until they feel a pain, holding that pain as long as they feel is masochistically appropriate, then stopping, with relief.

You asked for evidence that cold, static stretching before exercise increased injury risk (and reduced performance):

J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Sep;24(9):2274-9.

OR

J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct;23(7):2155-62. Effects of static stretching in warm-up on repeated sprint performance.


AND

Shrier I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: a critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clin J Sport Med 1999;9:221–7.

AND

Clin J Sport Med. 2010 Jan;20(1):8-14. Comparison of active stretching technique and static stretching technique on hamstring flexibility.


I suppose what I'm saying is that they should try doing stretching for its own sake. Whether that's in the context of yoga, or in a running club or whatever doesn't matter much, but the attitude to it really does. If you're trying to get it out-of-the-way before you start your run it's likely to do you more harm than good, as the studies above have shown. They're not great but they're the best available evidence.

And for the money shot ( i know it's in dancers but bear with me its interesting):

J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct;23(7):2144-8.
A comparison of two stretching modalities on lower-limb range of motion measurements in recreational dancers. Wyon M, Felton L, Galloway S. Source: School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. m.wyon@wlv.ac.uk

Abstract : Most stretching techniques are designed to place a "stress" on the musculoskeletal unit that will increase its resting length and range of motion (ROM). Twenty-four adolescent dancers participated in a 6-week intervention program that compared low-intensity stretching (Microstretching) with moderate-intensity static stretching on active and passive ranges of motion. Microstretching is a new modality that reduces the possibility of the parasympathetic system being activated. Repeated measures analysis indicated changes in ROM over the intervention period (p < 0.05), with the Microstretching group demonstrating greater increases in passive and active ROM than the static stretch group (p < 0.01); there was no noted bilateral differences in ROM. The results from this study agree with past studies that have found that stretching increases the compliance of any given muscle and therefore increases the range of motion. One main finding of the present study was that throughout a 6-week training program very-low-intensity stretching had a greater positive effect on lower-limb ROM than moderate-intensity static stretching. The most interesting aspect of the study was the greater increase in active ROM compared to passive ROM by the Microstretching group. This suggests that adaptation has occurred within the muscle itself to a greater extent than in structures of the hip joint. Practical application for this technique suggests it is beneficial as a postexercise modality that potentially has a restorative component.


Now I know what you're thinking - female adolescent dancers - how does that apply to me? Well, they're from Wolverhampton - so they're Brummie birds. I once saw a woman outside a pub in Birmingham wearing a mini skirt in -2C weather with a pint in one hand and a pie in the other and she looked like she was no stranger to either of em. They're well harder than you.


What they mean by "parasympathetic system" and I mean by "parasympathetic supply" is the part of the central nervous system that opposes the "sympathetic", adrenaline-noradrenaline, fight-or-flight activity. This is the digestion, peeing, pooing, (orgasm), relaxation bit of the autonomic nervous system. To be clear, it doesn't do anything to the muscle itself (the fibre), but would increase blood flow to the muscle by dilating blood vessels and might improve oxygenation and even - maybe - glycogen synthesis. They suggest microstretching reduces pns supply - but other studies (largely in animals) have shown it to be increased.


Mad innit'?.

oedipod

First of all, to clarify, I'm not a guru, and I don't value my own opinion much - (although I clearly love the sound of my own voice) but sometimes there isn't any decent evidence to base an opinion on. So, I'll tell you what worked / works for me.

Whereas I used to stretch before a run in order to "warm up" and make sure I didn't get injured.... now..... and this bit is controversial.... now I run before I stretch, in order to make sure I don't get injured. A proper run. I feel I need to be that warm, relaxed -- tired even -- to get the most from stretching. However, I have found that if I'm completely knackered then I can't stabilise myself enough and can be wobbly or overdo the stretch.

I have zero - zip evidence to base that on.

Some studies have been done on functional warmups - mimicking running movements - like lunges almost or one-legged squat type movements. These are often recommended for rehab or to improve form too. FOR ME, they don't make me rubbery enough to be comfy during the stretching.

I'd love to hear other peoples' experience, especially if it's opposite to mine! I bet there are loads of anecdotes out there about fellas who never stretched and ran a million miles a week until they were 80. I just wish there was better guidance for the rest of us....

Hanley

oedipod wrote: »

Hanley, I'm not suggesting for a minute that stretching per se is bad (quite the opposite), just that the kind of stretching (relatively inexperienced) endurance athletes often do before a run may not be the best for either increasing ROM or their performance during that particular run.

Agree, 100%.

This generally entails them gritting their teeth, stretching until they feel a pain, holding that pain as long as they feel is masochistically appropriate, then stopping, with relief.

Yup, that’s pretty stupid!!

You asked for evidence that cold, static stretching before exercise increased injury risk (and reduced performance):

J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Sep;24(9):2274-9.

The abstract only talks about performance in that one?

OR

J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct;23(7):2155-62. Effects of static stretching in warm-up on repeated sprint performance.

Again, performance - not injury.

Shrier I. Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: a critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clin J Sport Med 1999;9:221–7.

I can’t get access to that, but it suggests it doesn’t reduce injury, not that it causes. Which I think is probably correct.

AND

Clin J Sport Med. 2010 Jan;20(1):8-14. Comparison of active stretching technique and static stretching technique on hamstring flexibility.

That just measures the effectiveness of different stretching protocols?

I suppose what I'm saying is that they should try doing stretching for its own sake. Whether that's in the context of yoga, or in a running club or whatever doesn't matter much, but the attitude to it really does. If you're trying to get it out-of-the-way before you start your run it's likely to do you more harm than good, as the studies above have shown. They're not great but they're the best available evidence.

Those studies have shown nothing in relation to injuries tho. At best, they show it doesn’t reduce injury. I read a really comprehensive summation of a large body of studies around this and the prevailing suggestion was that dynamic warm ups improved performances, static decreased it, and static followed by dynamic resulted in no change - that is, the dynamic stretching undid the ‘damage’ caused by static.

That being said, how those studies were conducted is important. If they sent someone straight from an intensive stretching protocol into sprints, it’d be no surprise that performance was impaired.

At the end of the day, I think good movement mechanics and proper utilization of the joints and musculature in the way they were intended is far more important than just blindly stretching. The majority of cumulative injuries that people end up with are symptomatic of dysfunction elsewhere anyway (ie lower back pain can be cause by poor hip or thoracic mobility, knee paid by poor ankle mobility, dormant glutes or insufficient hip mobility etc etc)

J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Oct;23(7):2144-8.
A comparison of two stretching modalities on lower-limb range of motion measurements in recreational dancers. Wyon M, Felton L, Galloway S. Source: School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. m.wyon@wlv.ac.uk

Abstract : Most stretching techniques are designed to place a "stress" on the musculoskeletal unit that will increase its resting length and range of motion (ROM). Twenty-four adolescent dancers participated in a 6-week intervention program that compared low-intensity stretching (Microstretching) with moderate-intensity static stretching on active and passive ranges of motion. Microstretching is a new modality that reduces the possibility of the parasympathetic system being activated. Repeated measures analysis indicated changes in ROM over the intervention period (p < 0.05), with the Microstretching group demonstrating greater increases in passive and active ROM than the static stretch group (p < 0.01); there was no noted bilateral differences in ROM. The results from this study agree with past studies that have found that stretching increases the compliance of any given muscle and therefore increases the range of motion. One main finding of the present study was that throughout a 6-week training program very-low-intensity stretching had a greater positive effect on lower-limb ROM than moderate-intensity static stretching. The most interesting aspect of the study was the greater increase in active ROM compared to passive ROM by the Microstretching group. This suggests that adaptation has occurred within the muscle itself to a greater extent than in structures of the hip joint. Practical application for this technique suggests it is beneficial as a postexercise modality that potentially has a restorative component.


Now I know what you're thinking - female adolescent dancers - how does that apply to me? Well, they're from Wolverhampton - so they're Brummie birds. I once saw a woman outside a pub in Birmingham wearing a mini skirt in -2C weather with a pint in one hand and a pie in the other and she looked like she was no stranger to either of em. They're well harder than you.

Hahahaha niiiiiiiice! But again… it doesn’t say much in relation to injury. It’d be incorrect to assume that injury is solely a result of ‘tight’ muscles. If there’s a cumulative injury, or acute non-contact injury, chances are something else fed into the dysfunction that caused it, rather than the hamstring tearing because the hamstring has something wrong with it. Get me?

What they mean by "parasympathetic system" and I mean by "parasympathetic supply" is the part of the central nervous system that opposes the "sympathetic", adrenaline-noradrenaline, fight-or-flight activity. This is the digestion, peeing, pooing, (orgasm), relaxation bit of the autonomic nervous system. To be clear, it doesn't do anything to the muscle itself (the fibre), but would increase blood flow to the muscle by dilating blood vessels and might improve oxygenation and even - maybe - glycogen synthesis. They suggest microstretching reduces pns supply - but other studies (largely in animals) have shown it to be increased.


Mad innit'?.

Animal studies… mneh. I dunno how much I’d bother with them. Seeing some guys who know a hell of a lot more than me criticize them as being unapplicable has always made me skeptical!

Marthastew

oedipod wrote: »

First of all, to clarify, I'm not a guru, and I don't value my own opinion much - (although I clearly love the sound of my own voice) but sometimes there isn't any decent evidence to base an opinion on. So, I'll tell you what worked / works for me.
QUOTE]

Guru or not, I'm very much enjoying reading your posts and with my limited experince I would agree with a lot of what you say.


I've found that I don't necessarily stretch before or even after a run (long or otherwise) but I MOST DEFINITELY have at least one stretch/pilates/yoga type session a week, usually the day after a long run and always when I am warmed up (after a recovery run or even a body sculpt class).

I was plagued with shin splints last year but that was because I (foolishly) switched trainer type.

One of the best exercises for shin splints that I found to work well was to walk on your heels only as much as possible (around the house mostly as you look a lot like Charlie Chaplin doing so).

Hanley

oedipod wrote: »

First of all, to clarify, I'm not a guru, and I don't value my own opinion much - (although I clearly love the sound of my own voice) but sometimes there isn't any decent evidence to base an opinion on. So, I'll tell you what worked / works for me.

Whereas I used to stretch before a run in order to "warm up" and make sure I didn't get injured.... now..... and this bit is controversial.... now I run before I stretch, in order to make sure I don't get injured. A proper run. I feel I need to be that warm, relaxed -- tired even -- to get the most from stretching. However, I have found that if I'm completely knackered then I can't stabilise myself enough and can be wobbly or overdo the stretch.

I have zero - zip evidence to base that on.

I think you’re probably right in your approach. Static stretching straight off the bat just seems like more effort than it’s worth to me. It’s very rare that I’ll do any static stretching before training, I tend to use dynamic warm ups and movement drills instead.

With running you’re never really stressing your muscles or joints to end ROM so it’s probably not that crucial, but for field sports and weight training I think it does become something that is necessary.

Some studies have been done on functional warmups - mimicking running movements - like lunges almost or one-legged squat type movements. These are often recommended for rehab or to improve form too. FOR ME, they don't make me rubbery enough to be comfy during the stretching.

Again the issue here is whether you NEED to static stretch before workouts. If it helps you and ya want to, that’s cool. But as we were saying in the previous post, it may not be necessary!

I'd love to hear other peoples' experience, especially if it's opposite to mine! I bet there are loads of anecdotes out there about fellas who never stretched and ran a million miles a week until they were 80. I just wish there was better guidance for the rest of us....

I think tissue quality improvement (thru foam rolling) and correct movement mechanics and joint function is where the battle lies for most people. If any one part of the chain isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, you’ll run into problems. I honestly don’t think static stretching is going to have a much of an effect on either of those qualities, so while I’m not saying that it’s not worth doing, I’m saying in the context of injury prevention and general feel good-ness, there’s other things I’d be doing first.