This page contains a set of posts taken from the rec.running newsgroup on the subject of shin splints. Seeing as I get asked more questions about this than any other running topic I thought it was time I put this collected wisdom on the web. They won't all work for you, just try and see. Be patient and they may just go away. Thanks to the posters.
Check out this page for a medical viewpoint and greater explanation of the problems.
Alternative view of shin splints:
1. Increased blood flow _within_ the cortical bone - the hard thick
bone.
2. Bone Loss - bone is resorbed (by Osteoclasts) as part of the
remodeling process. This allows more bone to be laid down later.
3. New Osteoid - the scaffolding onto which calcium salts are lain
4. New cortical bone from calcium salt onlay which produces - thicker,
and more robust bone to withstand the new/increased stresses being
applied.
Shin Splints - Classic Type
The shin splint pain/ache can be relived by the following exercise.
Set on a table with legs off of the floor. Put a 3-5 pound weight on your toes and lift toes toward the ceiling. This will stretch the muscle back to its normal length.
Strengthening of the Quads
The quads are a set of four muscles on the front of your legs above the knee.
Set on a table with the legs off of the floor. Put a 3-5 pound weight on your toes and lift the legs upward. Do not lift them high enough to lock to knee. This exercise is known as a leg extension and will strengthening the muscles.
A gym with exercise machines is great but; isn't necessary to achieve the same results.
1) wall stretches (knee straight and knee bent) I have also heard of this stretch being done with toes in and toes out.
2) Partner ankle resistance exercises (aka. PNF's) partner resists your ankle movement as you try to move ankles in/out/up/down.
3) heel walks. walking on heels with toes up
As for treatment...ICE. I tell the athletes to freeze paper cups of water and use ice massage on the area before and after practice. In college I had great success with ice whirlpool treatment. May want to seek help from a podiatrist and get orthotics if nothing works. Be careful of running shoes that are too stiff in the forefoot.
#2 start with a slow jog to warm the muscles, then regular pace, then slow down for a couple of minutes to finish, and then stretch.
#3 do the right streches! Stretch the quads, hamstrings, calves, shins and achilles tendon (see below).
To stretch your calves, stand about three feet from a wall. facing the wall, place one foot near the wall (bend leg) and the other three feet back (straight leg), with your hands holding the wall for support, lean forward until you feel a stretch in your straight leg. Hold it for about 30 seconds. To stretch the tendon, maintain the same posture, but try to put a little bend in your back leg (you may have to move your leg forward a little. You should feel a stretch in the tendons. To stretch your shins, lie down on your back and place your toes under a bar of some sort (legs bent), like a sofa, or dresser. Slowly scoot back to straighten your legs until you feel the stretch. Hold it for 30 seconds.
If you experience pain after you have cooled down, try ice and rest. If your shin pain is coming from the base of your shin near the foot, put ice on it for 5 minutes on, 15 minutes off for a few times to reduce swelling. If your calf pain is coming from the tendon (runs between the large calf muscle and your heel), then the tendon stretching above should help. Hope this helps!
I use a strip of rubber the doctor cut for me. One exercise is to catch an end of it in a closed door and tie the other end in a loop and put it over your toes. Then pull your toes toward you, 3 sets of 10 per leg at least every other day. (this helps the anterior side)
For the posterior side, sit on the floor with your legs straight. Cross one leg over the other so they cross about mid-shin. Put the loop on the rubber strip over the upper foot and run the strip behind the lower foot and hold the other end in your hand. Now supinate the upper foot, 3 sets of ten. Repeat on the other leg (I usually do one set per side, switching back and forth until both sides get 3 sets). You really feel this in the posterior shin area.
Of course, you should stretch your calves and do some range of motion exercises for the ankle to warm up before doing these exercises. They really seem to help me (I hope they help you too).
If you can't get a rubber strip to use, try cutting up a bicycle inner tube so that it's about as long as your leg and as wide as possible.
I developed shin splints some time ago (1988) and I put up with them for a few years . Sometimes the pain was rather intense ,even when walking. Anyway, I joined a martial arts club and trained for a while then a person I trained with noticed I was in pain walking and when I told him it was from shin splints He said he had a way to get rid of them in about a week. As you can imagine ,after putting up with it for do long I was skeptical as to his claims. He said to go to a health store and get some Calcium Ascorbate tablets and take two of them twice a day and the splints will go. Sounds too easy doesn't it. I thought what the hell may as well try it ,at least I'll put off the osteoporosis for a while. I bought the tablets for about $10 and took them. This is no bull ,the splints were gone in three days. I finished all the tablets just to make sure. This was 5 years ago now and I run more than I ever did before and I have never had a recurrence of splints. Every person I come across with splints gets this advice and every single one who tries it is amazed.
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