shin splints?

[racerx520]

anyone know of a good way to alleviate shin splints? i know that you cant get rid of them...but if i could just make them not hurt as bad or for them to subside a bit quicker so that i can get back out running sooner, that would be some great info. thanks

[98tadriver]

drink more milk?

[bubba428]

do drugs

[KirkEvil]

stop running, or suck it up.

[98tadriver]

or get that crazy bionic exoskeleton thing that i saw on the history channel a few wks ago. its pretty crazy

[69BirdX]

Stretch alot. I had bad back in HS track when i did high jump. I stretched alot made it feel better

[FlyingDutchman]

Oo i can help you...ok so ice will rid the pain simply rub an ice cube up and down the front/inside of your leg where it hurts which will contract the muscle

to remedy shin splints you should stretch more try the following...

while sitting on a chair/couch w/e extend you legs out straight and flex your foot towards your body and hold it as long as you possibly can, this will help stretch/strengthen your shins. when you release give a min in between and do it in the opposite direction.

stand up against the wall facing it and push one foot up against the wall (pretty much the previous one except your standing and using a wall lol) you should feel it mostly on your calf and a little above your ankle.

Also it could indicate your shoes are worn out or they dont support your arches correctly. If thats not the case run more often in grass or on asphalt. Your feet take about x3 your weight everytime it lands so running on a hard surface such as concrete (which has no 'give' in it) can also cause shin splints.

I experience this every track season b/c i run the hurdles on asphalt (schools to poor for a track lol) so they take a beating.

Hope this helps so you can keep running :wink:

[madness410]

yeah try some new shoes...i used to run in nike shox and i hated it, hurt my legs and feet. i tried a different nike model and its much better. try on shoes at sports authority and make sure your feet feel flexible in them.

also have you looked into using an elliptical or something of that nature for your excersize? swimming is also good...

[FlyingDutchman]

or you can scrap running and buy a bike i think its every 2-3mi is 1 mi of running somethin like that

[madness410]

or you can scrap running and buy a bike i think its every 2-3mi is 1 mi of running somethin like that

thats not a bad idea. but swimming..for real...0 pressure on joints, works almost every muscle in your body, great cardio work out, if you do it at a public place MAYBE ull see hot girls in bathing suits. look into it..

[98tadriver]

thats not a bad idea. but swimming..for real...0 pressure on joints, works almost every muscle in your body, great cardio work out, if you do it at a public place MAYBE ull see hot girls in bathing suits. look into it..

yeah that and youre swimming in first grader pee

[racerx520]

thanks for the tips guys...im trying to get into a job as a cop and so i figure i'll start training early this year for the p.t. tests (i missed point pleasant barely last year cuz i had my septom moved and my tonsils out at the end of sept. and test was first week of november...i had to be in bed for a month....had 2 weeks to train)

swimming isnt quite an option yet, i dont have a gym membership and probably wont so i'll swim in my pool if need be, but more likely the ocean.

my shoes are pretty much brand new, i pulled a muscle bad with my old ones and then when it healed i got shin splints bad so i figured i'd spend the few bucks and ditch my 5 yr old running shoes.

im going to try the stretches and ice if they come back again, i think the problem could be also that i am just getting back into running and am out of shape so the stride is smaller (my friend in the navy told me thats a reason for shin splints) and also it could have been cuz i was running with my dog and all he did was pull me by his leash lol

[FlyingDutchman]

def do the stretches though b/c they will keep coming back

[madness410]

yeah that and youre swimming in first grader pee

depends where you swim. i swim at my university..

i guess that doesnt excuse the fact that people pee in it though...my friend admitted to taking a dump in a lake once..

[Squirrel]

foam roller

[NJSPEEDER]

Aspirin, ice, and elevation is the best way to deal with it right after a run. Long term you have to look into getting better shoes with more cushioning, make sure you have plenty of potassium in your diet, and maybe look into a compression sleeve.

When you run, go with a slower pace and a softer foot strike. Two short run with a good recovery in between will be better for you than one long run or trying to run fast until you are healed.

[racerx520]

well im just gettin back into it now, i cant run as far as i used to cuz of my 3 month break so far lol...but i will take all these remedies into consideration next time that i do get these again....cuz chances are, it'll be sooner than later that i get them. its strange, i didnt use to get them when i started running, and i was in worse shape than i am now, then one day i got them and seemslike iget them more often now. kinda sucks lol

[bobb1589]

well im just gettin back into it now, i cant run as far as i used to cuz of my 3 month break so far lol...but i will take all these remedies into consideration next time that i do get these again....cuz chances are, it'll be sooner than later that i get them. its strange, i didnt use to get them when i started running, and i was in worse shape than i am now, then one day i got them and seemslike iget them more often now. kinda sucks lol
im in the same boat as you, im hoping i can use some of the suggestions and get back to running again, i love running its just so painful when i do try to

[NJSPEEDER]

The problem with shin splints is that they can happen in no time at all. You can cause some minor problems in only a few strides. I got my shins aching crossing a street on my way back to work after lunch, had to run maybe 10 steps but it was while wearing my work shoes. Dress shoes = no support or cushion = no bueno

[procamaroz28]

high socks and or under armor pants helped me out with shin splints...

[racerx520]

one thing that i tried once, which worked and idont know why i didnt think of it before....i took ace bandages and wrapped my shins...that worked once, i forgot about that lol. and yeah, these things suck lol, i think i possibly got them once from walking, i dont know, all i know is that they hurt on random sometimes lol.

[79CamaroDiva]

If your shoes are very tight, try loosening them up. That got rid of shin splints for me completely about 2 years ago.

[foxriderry]

ice ... i was a 4:15 miler in high school and wanted to be an athletic trainer 20 minutes on 10 minutes off stretch real good pay attention to the shoes your buying if your running that much its worth it to not go to sports authority lol go to a private store and have a runner fit you up i havent had them since the 8th grade

[xrelapse13]

also, make sure your not running flat footed and running more on your toes.

sprints will get you in good shape too. you wanna exercise both ways to get in overall best shape.
Ice after you run, do the stretching exercises mentioned above and make sure your form is perfect

[69BirdX]

The ice trick does work once you have them but if you stretch well you can prevent it. They never go away but over time mine stopped occuring

[MonmouthCtyAntz]

I had them in the army bad....sitting in a hot tub relieved my pain. Might wanna try inserts in your shoes also.

[EODMonkey]

the way to strengthen the muscle and not beat it down is simple. sit on your ass and trace out the alphabet with each foot. you gain strength in the shin muscle as well as flexibility in the ankle do it a couple of times a day while your watching tv. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints

[stevethepirate]

What surface are you running on? Back in high school when I played tennis we did all of our conditioning on the courts... That constant pounding made the shin splints terrible. I just really had to emphasize stretching constantly.

Once you get them, ice them and tape them up. They make a wrap that you put on (before taping I think) so you don't have to shave your legs. I couldn't do that (forget why) and spent a few hours shaving my lower legs. It sucked.

There is a special technique for how to tape them, I forget it though. You basically have to try to pull the muscle back up towards the bone with the tape (so wrap it from the outside inwards).