Shins kill me while running....

**Keyboardsamurai** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 4:20pm

Originally Posted by joecos

Shin Splints. You gotta let them heal. You gotta treat them. You gotta change how you run so you don't get them again.

Go here: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cy...hinsplints.htm

Been there, changing my running so I don't drop all my weight on my heel when I land and good shock absorbing running shoes will do wonders.

Thanks a lot I'm going to try this as soon as I start.

**jamesdantes13** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 9:24pm

Make sure your shoes fit properly and that they aren't too old. Get the proper shoes for your feet (e.g. high arch, normal, flat foot).

After you take the precautions to heal and prevent shin splints from that website and you still get shin splints, I would recommend seeing a doctor, especially if it very painful.

Painful and reoccurring shin splints could be a result of stress fractures.

**Skillful** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 10:00pm

I thought it was the other way around, that continuing to exercise in a way that exacerbates shin splints could cause stress fractures.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 10:01pm

Originally Posted by Skillful

I thought it was the other way around, that continuing to exercise in a way that exacerbates shin splints could cause stress fractures.

It's both, sort of.

Sufficiently bad shin splints often wind up being stress fractures.

**Vorpal** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 10:43pm

When you were a kid you would run all goddamn day every day and never get shin splints. You've never even heard of a kid getting shin splints. Why do we get them? When you run for fitness, typically you run a set time and or distance. Consciously or unconsciously you will attempt to meet this goal using the minimum amount of effort or try to conserve some of your energy or endurance for the latter part of the run. This results in an unnatural gait that has more of an up and down pounding motion than a faster rolling action. Think about this: if I grabbed something from you that was really important to you ( Jessica Alba's digits, for instance), you wouldn't jog after me, you would tear off running. That's how you should run if you want to avoid the splints. Don't set a time or distance, don't wear a watch or stopwatch. Just freaking run. When you get tired, stop. Run some more. After a few weeks of doing this you will condition yourself to run in a natural gait. You can then start to reintroduce time/distance training but if you backslide you have to get back on the program. Good luck.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 10:49pm

Originally Posted by Vorpal

When you were a kid you would run all goddamn day every day and never get shin splints. You've never even heard of a kid getting shin splints. Why do we get them?

I think you're barking up the wrong tree here.

**danniboi07** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 10:51pm

You're how I used to be. I made the switch to swimming as it's low impact on the knees and I'm 177 now. Just throwing the other options out there..

**AeroChica** · Posted On: 12/22/2008 11:00pm

Have to agree with most of the posters - you've probably got a fine case of shin splits. I don't know anything about running or changing gaits, but I do know that mine were caused by a build up of scar tissue in my calves. Basically, I was working my calf muscles too hard skipping and they started building up linkages between the muscle fibres that tied everything up and wouldn't let the muscles work properly. This put too much strain on the insertion points, and bam - shin splints. Solution for me was ART - active release therapy. That is when some sadistic therapist pins your muscle in place and then tears the scar tissue free. Painful as ****, but works like a charm. A good physiotherapist will be able to tell you if you need ART, and give you some nasty stretches and excercises to help get things working normally again.

Have fun!