Shin Splints!!

Hi Guys

For the past 2 weeks i've been suffering from shin splints, I thought I could run through the pain..but its just a lil to sore now. So i'm laying off the soccer for 2-3 weeks to get it right, don't wana carry on and possibly injure myself and therefore out for the rest of the league.

Has anyone here ever had bad splints?

What can I do to help speed up the recovery process?

Any help would be appreciated

had it three times my brother

Stay off your feet
Ice your shins 4 times daily
Compress your muscles and less muscles movement, tape them if you will
Asprin x 2 or iburofen
Paddding for insoles of shoes, green cross in the mall, soften the blows on your feet
Rest
Avoid hard floors just for now, suspended wood floors
Dont run uphill
Warm up and stretch

THis is the advise i used on the internet some years back, works everytime.

Damn bro, I feel your pain. I suffer from that too.. Couple of years ago I started running during my lunch break to help lose weight. Bought the proper shoes and socks for my feet and running style etc.. I could only do it for a few weeks though becos of the shin splints. I heard stories that you must run through it and eventually after speaking to a runner he told me best is to rest it. Well that was the end of me running. Now I don't suffer from it but I haven't run in years so cannot say for sure if its gone or not. Hope you get a fix for it bro.

thanks a lot guys..some helpful info here I think it could also be stud pressure..my boots have blades and a hard interior..so you rate I should get like custom made soles??

have been icing the shins..and just gonna rest as much as I can..i think it could also be because of my weight?? weigh 104kg..do you think that might add more stress on the shins as well?

Not custom made soles, you get the half soles at green cross, buy for you shoe size, they sit half way in your shoe towards the back and keep the arch elevated and comfie. Really helps. I have gained lots of weight and it has not affected shin splints but pressure does - running - jumping box squats etc.

Thanks boet..going to take a look this weekend splints really cuts your game in half hey..cant do shit!! pain is agonising!! Thnks for the help though

Eish bro I know what you're going through. I was playing soccer in my first year at Uni and after about 15-20mins, everytime the whistle went, I sat down (on the field) because of the pain. Now this was 5 years ago. I still have heavy problems with shin splints and jogging sets it off immediately. I haven't found any solutions yet. I get them on the front and then also at the back above my ankle. It gets so bad that my shin muscles are solid like rocks (for some reason I have muscular shins) and that I can't bend my foot at the ankle.

What I have noted though, is some of the things that sets it off. Firstly, running/jogging on hard surfaces; up a hill; when I wear soccer boots. What I have noticed when I run is that my feet land a bit awkward, almost as if my twisting a bit to the outside and thus stretching the muscles awkwardly. This to me makes sense because shins, as I understand, are in essence the result of small muscle tears in either your shins or calves, where the muscle connects to the bone. One of the guys mentioned the green cross inners, now I have yet to try it but I am quite sure that raising one's heel would have some sort of positive effect (especially, as you mentioned, that soccer boots are quite hard and that there's a lot of pressure from the blades). The only other thing I can think of would be strap your shins. I do this every so often- it's obviously not a cure but helps in relieving the pain and for recovery.

So I went to green cross for the inner soles, but they have never even heard of shin splints!! have no clue what im on abut..so its no use getting something that might not even help!

So I will probably have to see a Podiatrist to get special inners made up for me!

But for now im just resting them and doing some exercises, icing etc.

Bro a lot of our brothers working in green cross would not know that term. The aim behind the elevated arcs is to stop your ankles from rolling. Arc support is a good idea anyway. The inner soles were like 100 bucks.
Nothing wrong with going to the podiatrist, he is the specialist. Let us know what he says.

Sounds to me like you just carrying extra weight that your body isn't used to running on. Your body will in time adjust, however you need to train it accordingly, spend some time doing brisk walking and see if you get them then and if not increase it to a slow job, which puts allot of impact on your leg as a whole, and see how long you can go without the pain creeping in, stop as soon as discomfort, rest a day then try the exercise again.

If I am right and you have put on some weight, just make sure its muscle mass, if it some stored fat, maybe look at ridding yourself of the extra body fat.

00pump wrote: Sounds to me like you just carrying extra weight that your body isn't used to running on. Your body will in time adjust, however you need to train it accordingly, spend some time doing brisk walking and see if you get them then and if not increase it to a slow job, which puts allot of impact on your leg as a whole, and see how long you can go without the pain creeping in, stop as soon as discomfort, rest a day then try the exercise again.

If I am right and you have put on some weight, just make sure its muscle mass, if it some stored fat, maybe look at ridding yourself of the extra body fat.

All this. And strengthen that posterior chain, your calves play a fairly important part in shin splints as well as where you strike with your foot when doing cardio, heel strike is notorious for shin splints, there is so much conflicting info out there but this is what I was told by the physio I saw when I had mine while playing rugby and I tend to agree.

I am struggling with them a lot at the moment, I used to use those wedges/ in soles when I played rugby and after years I didn't need them anymore, but recently when I started doing hectic running again I can barely make a km, so looks like I'm also going to go try and hunt down some insoles.

@ Fillet - how did those inner soles help you out from green cross?? They make any difference?

@ pump - fully agree with you bud, I have added some extra weight (approx. 5kg) and yes I do have some excess fat, so think I will concentrate on dropping those 5kg..my bf is around 13-14%..going to aim for 9-10%

@ chapel - been doing some exercises I found on youtube..started them yesterday, hopefully these will help to strengthen the muscles up, its apparently causes when you muscles on the front of your shins are weaker than your calves, and therefore creates some pulley kinda movement which stuffs everything up.

I actually dont take them out ever, i wear them with my work shoes, trainers etc. Had the same inners for years now. I use them when i train as well... you have you own body weight and then you are doing squats, suitcases, shruggs etc. That weight added to the weight of your body all putting pressure on your feet - ankles. For me its great. I think shin splints starts with impact to the feet and your arch can only take so much.

Almost identical to this dude, made from spring steel and well cushioned.

Thanks so much bro and you got yours from green cross right??

Correct my brew, show them a pic so they understand better. You buy them according to your shoe size but they are half to three quater soles. Push it to the back of your shoe and slide foot it. You will feel the diff immediately.

Good info there Fillet, i am sure that will help more that one member

Snitch wrote: @ chapel - been doing some exercises I found on youtube..started them yesterday, hopefully these will help to strengthen the muscles up, its apparently causes when you muscles on the front of your shins are weaker than your calves, and therefore creates some pulley kinda movement which stuffs everything up.

High arches, tight Achilles, weak anterior calf muscles (Tibialis), weak posterior calf muscles, heel strike, they all add up. For me I know its weak calves and heel strike. You can hear me walking from a mile off :dry: