Shin Pain Problems

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’ve been having pain in my shins for the longest time. I basically avoid it by not running…since that what causes the pain. But I like running, and I need to do some of it just for reactive strength purposes.

I did some sprinting today on the track with some track shoes that are broken in but far from worn out. after a couple 100’s and a couple 50’s the pain was so tremendous that I had to walk gingerly back to my dorm.

Earlier I had done some rope skipping on a soft grass surface (5 rounds of 5min)… and had the same pain but I just worked through it (no pain afterwards though).

When I’m at home and I run hills I don’t have any pain so I’m wondering if there is a muscular imbalance or something wrong with the angle that my foot is hitting the ground.

Mind you I’m feeling this pain after having not run (which were hills) for a month. After one session I feel incapacitated…Something is certainly wrong with that.

*Pain runs from along the inside of my shins to my ankles.

Some background so you don’t have to ask…

I’m 20yr old, 5’9-5’10 180-185# about 10-12%bf… I have flat feet, Im in pretty good condition and quite flexible.

I do mobility exercises before every training session and take measures to ensure my recovery (ice cups, contrast showers, epsom salt baths, personal massager vibrating thinga-ma-bob, and a gf that likes to massage muscles (which usually ends in me getting some woot woot))…

I train pretty regularly- weights, mma, capoeira, some rock climbing, a dance class every blue moon… but nothing that requires any sort of pounding on my feet, I actually stay away from those because of this regularly occuring pain.

I have no reflex in my knee’s (you know when the doctor taps it)… left ankle has been popped from achilles hold, no other serious lower extremity injuries…

So do I just need to wrap it every time I run or is there a more serious problem?

2

Do you do any front shin (tibialis anterior) work?

3

Front tibalis work?
not on a regular basis, hah maybe I should start.

…also, I don’t know the last time I’ve ever done any direct calf work.

4

Search for Dorsiflexion, you have shin splints.

There was a post recently on making your own dorsiflexion tool, or you can use a dumbbell.

To preform this movement sit on the end of a bench with legs slightly elevated and lift your toes toward you. You should feel this working the front of the shins.

5

Have you tried doing much to help with your flat feet? Orthodics etc?

I’m thinking that some work for your lower legs (anterior, lateral and posterior) might be useful.

i.e. Do your gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis anterior but also do flexing and extending of your toes (i.e. picking stuff up with your feet or gripping the ground… whatever you can think of with what you have lying around) and feet - also practice tilting your feet to face in and then out.

Some ideas:

Some of that stuff might help strengthen the muscles that support the arches of your feet and can help with the transmission of force.

6

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
Search for Dorsiflexion, you have shin splints.

There was a post recently on making your own dorsiflexion tool, or you can use a dumbbell.

To preform this movement sit on the end of a bench with legs slightly elevated and lift your toes toward you. You should feel this working the front of the shins.[/quote]

But would I really have shin splits for damn near 2 years? I’d think after a good few lengthy periods without any running that it would heal…

Thanks for the info btw

7

Flat feet can definitely cause that. Get some orthotics.

8

[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
Testy1 wrote:
Search for Dorsiflexion, you have shin splints.

There was a post recently on making your own dorsiflexion tool, or you can use a dumbbell.

To preform this movement sit on the end of a bench with legs slightly elevated and lift your toes toward you. You should feel this working the front of the shins.

But would I really have shin splits for damn near 2 years? I’d think after a good few lengthy periods without any running that it would heal…

Thanks for the info btw
[/quote]

It does heal, but unless you consistently use these muscles you will just re-injure them.

9

With shin splints, it’s not involving the muscles. The muscles can help out with preventing it.

What you need to do is ice it for a day, wrap it with tape tight when you run. Condition in a good pair* of running shoes. Do that for a week, then after about a week or two. Then I’d suggest you put on the spikes.

*A squishy not to squishy but ones that give, and have an arch support.

10

I’ve had devestating problems with shin splints. The only way I could get rid of the same problem you described is by seeing an ART specialist (6-7 sessions) and religously using a foam roller on the problem areas. Although the problem continues to try and reassert itself, by using the roller and stretching every day, I’ve been able to manage it.
The protocol I follow now is in the Cressey Joint Health Checklist article; pure genius.

11

I’ve had devestating problems with shin splints. The only way I could get rid of the same problem you described is by seeing an ART specialist (6-7 sessions) and religously using a foam roller on the problem areas. Although the problem continues to try and reassert itself, by using the roller and stretching every day, I’ve been able to manage it.
The protocol I follow now is in the Cressey Joint Health Checklist article; pure genius.

12

Hi Xen Nova:

I had a similar problem recently and managed to fix it.

Every time I ran (sprints or a 1-2 mile fast run), I got what is commonly referred to as shin splints. They hurt enough to make running miserable; the discomfort even affected my sleeping.

As I always do in these situations, I started researching and experimenting. I found a reference somewhere about tight calf-muscles having an affect.

Now I don’t normally do static streches before a workout - especially sprints: I do dynamic drills (I’m a great fan of Cressy & Robertson’s Magnifient Mobility DVD). But I tried doing calf stretches (they are so easy and painless, so I had nothing to lose): stand on a kerb and stretch for 30-50 secs each leg. Rest. Repeat a few times. I also throw in a couple of slow one-leg calf raises just because it’s so easy to do so. Do a thorough job (but don’t bounce up and down). It takes me about 5 mins total to do mine (part of my warmup now).

In my case it completely cured me of my problem - 100% gone.

If you try it, good luck!

WiZ

13

You guys need to read his post more carefully. He has medial shin splints, not anterior.

To the original poster: your condition is medial tibial stress sydrome, which is an injury to the deep crural fascia at its attachment to medial aspect of the tibia. In severe cases (usually when you train through the injury for too long), the periosteum of the bone can becomes affected also.

It is neither a muscle nor tendon injury. You can’t do ART on it because the injured tissue is not a contractile structure (although you certainly can do other types of soft tissue work on it). Strengthening the tibialis anterior will do nothing. What may help is stretching the shit out of the calves and achilles tendon.

I personally refuse to run in orthotics, but if you don’t mind doing so, then they may be a viable option. I strongly recommend that you get them from a podiatrist who has a special interest in running injuries because most of the practitioners who provide orthotics truly don’t know what the fuck they’re doing when it comes to athletes- they’ll put you in the same bulky, rigid clunkers they give to their geriatric patients.