Did road runner have once shin splints?
April 30, 2008 7:14 PM Subscribe
I have resumed jogging. However, already after 5 minutes of running, I will have unbearable pain in my lower legs. I might be experiencing "shin splints", and I wonder what are some good ways to prevent/lessen/delay these.
I start running, and after 5 minutes I will feel bad muscle pain in the lower-front part of my lower legs. If I continue running for another 5 minutes, I will start running like a duck, as I cannot flex(?) my feet anymore. Another 5 minutes, and I am done and walk back home as a sad duck, although rest of my body is just starting to get warm and I feel like I could have run for an hour if I did not have the terrible pain in my legs. Strangely, this pattern does not seem to change much if I put walking or stretching breaks between these 5 minute sequences. (Although I haven't tried any "5 min run, 10 min walk, 5 min run" kind of extremely loose sequence).
I don't think that I am running too fast, I stretch fairly before I start (and after, when the pain is gone), I am wearing some 'cushion' type of running shoes and I am healthy in general.
I believe this is a bad case of the common shin splints, which should be normal when one is just unfit and needs to get in shape. I wonder if there is anything I can do to reduce or delay this pain. Actually, I don't mind the pain afterwards, since it usually takes 10 min. of rest and then it's gone. I just want to delay the pain, so that I can run longer and so that running is more fun.
I would love to hear from people who had the same problem and how they coped with it... Did you change shoes and the pain was gone? Is there an effective stretching trick? I will be happy to hear some advice or experience.
I start running, and after 5 minutes I will feel bad muscle pain in the lower-front part of my lower legs. If I continue running for another 5 minutes, I will start running like a duck, as I cannot flex(?) my feet anymore. Another 5 minutes, and I am done and walk back home as a sad duck, although rest of my body is just starting to get warm and I feel like I could have run for an hour if I did not have the terrible pain in my legs. Strangely, this pattern does not seem to change much if I put walking or stretching breaks between these 5 minute sequences. (Although I haven't tried any "5 min run, 10 min walk, 5 min run" kind of extremely loose sequence).
I don't think that I am running too fast, I stretch fairly before I start (and after, when the pain is gone), I am wearing some 'cushion' type of running shoes and I am healthy in general.
I believe this is a bad case of the common shin splints, which should be normal when one is just unfit and needs to get in shape. I wonder if there is anything I can do to reduce or delay this pain. Actually, I don't mind the pain afterwards, since it usually takes 10 min. of rest and then it's gone. I just want to delay the pain, so that I can run longer and so that running is more fun.
I would love to hear from people who had the same problem and how they coped with it... Did you change shoes and the pain was gone? Is there an effective stretching trick? I will be happy to hear some advice or experience.
I don't think the pain from true shin splints goes away after 10 minutes. Although I've never done it, I've now heard from a few friends who went to a fancy running shoe store and got all measured up and evaluated and fit for a special pair of shoes and said it was like night and day.
When my brother ran track and CC they swore by an exercise to prevent pain that sounds pretty similar: they would sit with one leg crossed (so the right shin, for example, was resting on the thigh and the sole of the right foot was facing left) and rotate the foot through the ankle's full range of circular motion, while applying pressure with the hand opposed to the motion of the roll, first clockwise then counter clockwise, doing first one foot then the other. I don't recall how many reps they did but it was quite a few. I always did this along with a comprehensive stretching routine but then I was a pretty lackluster jogger at my best.
posted by nanojath at 8:09 PM on April 30, 2008
When my brother ran track and CC they swore by an exercise to prevent pain that sounds pretty similar: they would sit with one leg crossed (so the right shin, for example, was resting on the thigh and the sole of the right foot was facing left) and rotate the foot through the ankle's full range of circular motion, while applying pressure with the hand opposed to the motion of the roll, first clockwise then counter clockwise, doing first one foot then the other. I don't recall how many reps they did but it was quite a few. I always did this along with a comprehensive stretching routine but then I was a pretty lackluster jogger at my best.
posted by nanojath at 8:09 PM on April 30, 2008
Do not over exert yourself. If you already are getting shin splints, then exerting yourself even further too quickly could result in a stress fracture. I N^th getting some new shoes at a running store with experienced salespeople. Also, you can do weight training for your calves by just holding barbells in each hand and just standing up on your tip toes repeatedly. If you don't have weights, just improvise with milk jugs filled with sand or water or something like that. If you have access to a gym, they may have machines you can use for this. Again, don't over exert yourself. Your shins aren't the only part of your body that will thank you.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 8:25 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by gauchodaspampas at 8:25 PM on April 30, 2008
I don't think the pain from true shin splints goes away after 10 minutes.
In the very early stages before it gets serious, yeah, it can go away very soon after a run.
Your problem is most likely weak ankles/lower leg muscles and problems with your gait. You should absolutely go to a running store, have them put you up on a treadmill and analyze your gait. They can recommend shoes based on what they see, and you should listen to them.
I'm a serious overpronator dealing with similar issues, and I posted a recent AskMe about strengthening exercises you might find helpful.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:39 PM on April 30, 2008
In the very early stages before it gets serious, yeah, it can go away very soon after a run.
Your problem is most likely weak ankles/lower leg muscles and problems with your gait. You should absolutely go to a running store, have them put you up on a treadmill and analyze your gait. They can recommend shoes based on what they see, and you should listen to them.
I'm a serious overpronator dealing with similar issues, and I posted a recent AskMe about strengthening exercises you might find helpful.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:39 PM on April 30, 2008
Also, I cannot stress this enough: don't try to run through pain like this. I learned the hard way very early on that trying to gut out pain can backfire horrifically.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:41 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by middleclasstool at 8:41 PM on April 30, 2008
I have had this symptom - I think it's called "compartment syndrome", and it happens when lots of blood floods into the muscle, and the surrounding tissue won't stretch enough because you haven't been using it like that for a while.
I just accepted that 5 minutes was too long. Even though I knew I had the wind to run much longer, I only ran for a couple of minutes at a time, and increased slowly over weeks until I was up to 30 minutes.
Interestingly, the last time I took up running, after a lot of time off and well after the episode above, I started barefoot on grass, and this symptom never manifested, so maybe that's an option too.
Finally, be aware that lots of things cause pain in the lower leg after running. Just because some random guy on the internet says "I felt that and I fixed it with this!" doesn't mean you have a diagnosis or a solution.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 8:41 PM on April 30, 2008
I just accepted that 5 minutes was too long. Even though I knew I had the wind to run much longer, I only ran for a couple of minutes at a time, and increased slowly over weeks until I was up to 30 minutes.
Interestingly, the last time I took up running, after a lot of time off and well after the episode above, I started barefoot on grass, and this symptom never manifested, so maybe that's an option too.
Finally, be aware that lots of things cause pain in the lower leg after running. Just because some random guy on the internet says "I felt that and I fixed it with this!" doesn't mean you have a diagnosis or a solution.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 8:41 PM on April 30, 2008
Get good running shoes if you don't have any yet. This made a night and day difference for my shin splints
posted by jpdoane at 9:05 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by jpdoane at 9:05 PM on April 30, 2008
Yeah, it's shoes. I get this when my shoes start to wear out. It's my body's way of telling me "hey! Get new shoes please."
posted by sweetkid at 9:14 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by sweetkid at 9:14 PM on April 30, 2008
Another vote for getting proper shoes (not just new shoes - shoes appropriate for your level of over or under pronation).
I do have to admit though - I'm a totally afflicted by shin splints and this sounds like the right spot but very severe compared to what I'm used to. Mine is a severe level of discomfort but not inability to move.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:48 PM on April 30, 2008
I do have to admit though - I'm a totally afflicted by shin splints and this sounds like the right spot but very severe compared to what I'm used to. Mine is a severe level of discomfort but not inability to move.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:48 PM on April 30, 2008
(oh and I agree the right getting the right shoes can definitely be a night and day difference)
posted by bitdamaged at 9:49 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by bitdamaged at 9:49 PM on April 30, 2008
'Sides the other suggestions, you might wanna try mixing up the terrain... if you're running on the street, try hitting the trails, see how that feels.
posted by ph00dz at 9:50 PM on April 30, 2008
posted by ph00dz at 9:50 PM on April 30, 2008
A few suggestions -
Get fitted for your running shoes at a true running store. Nothing can beat having the correct shoe to correct any arch or pronation problems. A decent running store will often allow you to exchange shoes for 30 days if you have problems.
Are you running on a flat surface? Occasionally I start my run on a road with a camber. When that happens, my shins kill me.
posted by 26.2 at 10:27 PM on April 30, 2008
Get fitted for your running shoes at a true running store. Nothing can beat having the correct shoe to correct any arch or pronation problems. A decent running store will often allow you to exchange shoes for 30 days if you have problems.
Are you running on a flat surface? Occasionally I start my run on a road with a camber. When that happens, my shins kill me.
posted by 26.2 at 10:27 PM on April 30, 2008
I think of shin splints as being higher up. Feel your shin -- do you find a place where a muscle wraps around the outer edge of your shin from behind your leg? That's where I've had shin splints. When I've had pain in the place I think you're describing, it was more of a need to stretch my muscles more. I never saw anyone else do this exact stretch, so maybe it's bogus, but what worked for me was to, after doing a normal calf stretch (1, 2), to then bend the knee of the calf that was being stretched and feel the stretch move down the back of that leg (kind of like calf stretch #2 here). Anyway, this sounds to me like "random internet person advice" so take it with a grain of salt.
A bit more usefully, the trainers of my cross-country team had us ward off shin splints by sitting so that your leg dangles off a chair and drawing the letters of the alphabet with your toe. They had us run backwards during warmups, which was part of some injury prevention theory, though I'm not sure if that one was specifically for shin splints. When people on the team were starting to get injured, they also had us run in the water a couple days a week, so you might see if that makes your leg still hurt, and if not, you could burn off some of your running energy that way.
posted by salvia at 11:32 PM on April 30, 2008
A bit more usefully, the trainers of my cross-country team had us ward off shin splints by sitting so that your leg dangles off a chair and drawing the letters of the alphabet with your toe. They had us run backwards during warmups, which was part of some injury prevention theory, though I'm not sure if that one was specifically for shin splints. When people on the team were starting to get injured, they also had us run in the water a couple days a week, so you might see if that makes your leg still hurt, and if not, you could burn off some of your running energy that way.
posted by salvia at 11:32 PM on April 30, 2008
1. Better running shoes
2. Stretch before running
3. Don't run so hard or heavily
4. Stretch after running
Keep your running as low impact as possible until you get used to it. The suggestions of trying different terrains are good ones.
I used to do double dutch jump rope, which is really high impact. We were so unused to doing and NEVER warmed up or stretched. It was so painful and shin splints were rife throughout the entire group. Then an actual professional jump roper saw us and was horrified and taught us basic stretching techniques and how to jump without so much impact and suddenly the shin splints went away.
posted by mooza at 2:29 AM on May 1, 2008
2. Stretch before running
3. Don't run so hard or heavily
4. Stretch after running
Keep your running as low impact as possible until you get used to it. The suggestions of trying different terrains are good ones.
I used to do double dutch jump rope, which is really high impact. We were so unused to doing and NEVER warmed up or stretched. It was so painful and shin splints were rife throughout the entire group. Then an actual professional jump roper saw us and was horrified and taught us basic stretching techniques and how to jump without so much impact and suddenly the shin splints went away.
posted by mooza at 2:29 AM on May 1, 2008
Stretch the shin muscles better. Standing behind a couch or whatever, barefoot, roll the toes of one foot over so the *tops* of the toes are on the floor. Basically, make a fist with your toes. Then hold on to the couch, and bend your knees backward. You'll feel the shit stretching.
I'd also recommend jogging on grass. Much more forgiving. At least for a while.
One last thing - make sure you're not landing hard on your heels - you should be landing so your toes hit the ground *with* the heel, or just slightly after. If you land on the heels too much, that snaps the toes down, and dynamically extends those shin muscles.
posted by notsnot at 4:15 AM on May 1, 2008
I'd also recommend jogging on grass. Much more forgiving. At least for a while.
One last thing - make sure you're not landing hard on your heels - you should be landing so your toes hit the ground *with* the heel, or just slightly after. If you land on the heels too much, that snaps the toes down, and dynamically extends those shin muscles.
posted by notsnot at 4:15 AM on May 1, 2008
notsnot's suggestion of running on grass is the quickest and best way to avoid shin splints. Concrete is the worst, asphalt paths can be better, but grass can be the best. If there is a high school or college jogging track nearby, use that.
posted by JJ86 at 5:58 AM on May 1, 2008
posted by JJ86 at 5:58 AM on May 1, 2008
I was trying to get in shape for a job and so I needed to run through my initial shin splints (I know I shouldn't have done it). Whenever I was finished running, I'd cover the front of my leg in icy hot and then wrap it with a compression bandage. With the bandage on, it'll be extra-hot for a minute or so and then feel really good.
One question with your technique... Do you walk for a while (say 5-10 minutes) before you start running?
posted by drezdn at 6:30 AM on May 1, 2008
One question with your technique... Do you walk for a while (say 5-10 minutes) before you start running?
posted by drezdn at 6:30 AM on May 1, 2008
You broke the 'terrible toos'
- Too much
- Too often
- Too hard
- Too far
Shin splints are an overuse injury (I am just as guilty - I'm in the process of rehabbing right now). Rest until there is no pain with pressure on the inside aspect of the tibia (where the soleus meets the tibial bone). Then begin slowly:
-day one: walk 2 min, jog 1 min x 5
-day two: rest
-day three: walk 1 min, jog 1 min x 10
-day four: rest
-day five: walk 1 min, jog 2 min
-etc
Only increase your distance / time by 10 % a week.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 6:30 AM on May 1, 2008
- Too much
- Too often
- Too hard
- Too far
Shin splints are an overuse injury (I am just as guilty - I'm in the process of rehabbing right now). Rest until there is no pain with pressure on the inside aspect of the tibia (where the soleus meets the tibial bone). Then begin slowly:
-day one: walk 2 min, jog 1 min x 5
-day two: rest
-day three: walk 1 min, jog 1 min x 10
-day four: rest
-day five: walk 1 min, jog 2 min
-etc
Only increase your distance / time by 10 % a week.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 6:30 AM on May 1, 2008
I was a training back in school and there are a couple taping methods you can use, one on the bottom of your feet, another on your shin itself (it doesnt actually work as well, but its a lot easier). Since I am assuming you are attached to your leg hair, and if you tried to do this you would very likely get it wrong and hurt yourself further, I would suggest better shoes, and easing up a little bit until you feel better.
posted by BobbyDigital at 8:24 AM on May 1, 2008
posted by BobbyDigital at 8:24 AM on May 1, 2008
Shoes will help a little but aren't the golden solution. A more "confident" turnover and how your heel hits the pavement will help. It's not a speed issue, but how your feet are hitting the pavement; in my experience running slower gave me worse shin splints.
I've found that the SURFACE helps a ton, if you're able to find it. Run on dirt and they won't be as much a problem, but pavement/sidewalk/concrete will kill your shins.
Frequency, however, will be your best tool to surviving. Take days of rest. Don't run through it. It'll get worse and take longer to heal. If I run 7 days in a row, by the 6th or 7th, I'll feel it after 5 minutes as you do and it only gets worse. If I run every other day, then I'm good to go.
posted by yeti at 8:55 AM on May 1, 2008
I've found that the SURFACE helps a ton, if you're able to find it. Run on dirt and they won't be as much a problem, but pavement/sidewalk/concrete will kill your shins.
Frequency, however, will be your best tool to surviving. Take days of rest. Don't run through it. It'll get worse and take longer to heal. If I run 7 days in a row, by the 6th or 7th, I'll feel it after 5 minutes as you do and it only gets worse. If I run every other day, then I'm good to go.
posted by yeti at 8:55 AM on May 1, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks guys, there is a lot of good advice here, I don't know who to pick as the best answer.
I got two main take home messages (1) get good shoes (I always thought this running type analysis is some luxury or myth) (2) take the pain serious (3) walk more and on softer surfaces. That makes three, and it's even better.
posted by randomDirtPattern at 1:46 PM on May 1, 2008
I got two main take home messages (1) get good shoes (I always thought this running type analysis is some luxury or myth) (2) take the pain serious (3) walk more and on softer surfaces. That makes three, and it's even better.
posted by randomDirtPattern at 1:46 PM on May 1, 2008
I had the exact sime problem. I finally went and saw a doctor as the pain became so intense that I thought I had fractured one of my shins. The doctor told me to do 2 things.
1.) He said that I had slightly flat feet, and that I should invest in a good pair of running shoes from a running store where a staff member would observe my walking/running style to fit me properly.
2.) He said I should do some simple calf-stretches (wall pushups) after running to alleviate the shin-pain.
So, I got a good pair of running shoes, and stretched after running. Within a month the pain went away completely and has never come back. This was 2 years ago. Keep in mind that my pain was so severe that I was convinced my shins had hairline fractures... it was just crappy shoes and not stretching.
posted by xotis at 2:20 PM on May 1, 2008
1.) He said that I had slightly flat feet, and that I should invest in a good pair of running shoes from a running store where a staff member would observe my walking/running style to fit me properly.
2.) He said I should do some simple calf-stretches (wall pushups) after running to alleviate the shin-pain.
So, I got a good pair of running shoes, and stretched after running. Within a month the pain went away completely and has never come back. This was 2 years ago. Keep in mind that my pain was so severe that I was convinced my shins had hairline fractures... it was just crappy shoes and not stretching.
posted by xotis at 2:20 PM on May 1, 2008
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posted by TrashyRambo at 7:42 PM on April 30, 2008