Developing Shin Splints... How to Proceed?

R

rosedeviant

0
Howdy folks,

It seems I've started to develop shin splints, in both my legs. As I've got myself a serious workout schedule planned out, I'm a bit worried about how to proceed without making a minor problem worse. My next run day is tomorrow, supposedly.

Some background on what I've been doing:

3 run days a week, M W F
2 strength days, Tues. & Thurs.
Rest day on Saturday
Swim day on Sunday

(I've missed my last 2 swim days; this week I'll do swim on Thursday & strength on Sunday, should fit my schedule better)

Two weeks ago, I was running intervals of a minute each running and walking, for 20 minutes. Last week, I bumped my running time up to 1 minute 15 seconds & did 10 run/walk sets (so a little over 20 mins.). Friday past is when I started noticing slight discomfort, but it didn't really stick around. This week, I was going to bump my run time up another 15 seconds but decided to keep to 1:15 as I felt I might be moving up a bit too quickly.

I walk to and from my running spot. 10 minutes each way over sidewalk & asphalt. Once I get to the place I stretch my core & legs. The run route itself is a dirt/gravel path with the occasional short wooden bridge. I do overpronate - have flat feet - but I have custom-fit orthotics in my shoes & otherwise my shoes fit great. My form hasn't been criticised but it may be time to have someone reassess as it's been a little while.

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I'd like to know what else I can do with my run, or instead of my run, so I don't make a small problem bigger. I've read that swimming is a good alternative for runners as active recovery from shin splints. Yes? No? How about clocking some time on an elliptical? What other suggestions do you have for active recovery?

I've treated with ice, no pain killers (I'm stubborn), wondering if compression might be a good idea?
 
People tend to have different causes for their shin splints, so the tips I have are generalized and should help you figure out which things you need to consider the most.

Firstly, rule out a stress fracture. Those are mistaken for shin splints a LOT of the time.

If it's true shin splints, then extra flexibility in your calves is almost always a must. Do your calf stretches both with a straight knee and slightly bent knee to target the different muscles in your lower leg. Also, foam rolling or some other type of self-massage will be extremely beneficial.

Sometimes you also need to strengthen the front of your lower leg (tibialis anterior) in order to balance out the calves and prevent excessive pull of those muscles on your bone. Toe-raises/heel pressing is the best for this.

If you have custom orthotics, then that should be correcting your overpronation, correct. However, orthotics also tend to give you an exaggerated heel strike, so put some thought into buffering the amount of force you're hitting your heels on the ground with and think about rolling more quickly onto the forefoot once you contact.

Yep, swimming, eliptical, or pretty much anything else that's low-impact will be good for shin-splints, if only by giving your lower leg a much-needed rest from impact stress. Cycling has the added benefit of strengthening the front of your leg, as I mentioned above, as long as you press into the pedals with your heels and not your toes.

Other than that, just avoid painful activities for a little while. (Especially jumping. Jumping with shin splints SUCKS!) Keep icing, of course. Compression CAN help, but if it doesn't feel like it is, then stop. (Try wrapping clockwise on your right leg/counter-clockwise on the left for best results.)
 
rosedeviant said:
Two weeks ago, I was running intervals of a minute each running and walking, for 20 minutes. Last week, I bumped my running time up to 1 minute 15 seconds & did 10 run/walk sets (so a little over 20 mins.). Friday past is when I started noticing slight discomfort, but it didn't really stick around. This week, I was going to bump my run time up another 15 seconds but decided to keep to 1:15 as I felt I might be moving up a bit too quickly.

I walk to and from my running spot. 10 minutes each way over sidewalk & asphalt. Once I get to the place I stretch my core & legs. The run route itself is a dirt/gravel path with the occasional short wooden bridge. I do overpronate - have flat feet - but I have custom-fit orthotics in my shoes & otherwise my shoes fit great. My form hasn't been criticised but it may be time to have someone reassess as it's been a little while.

I've treated with ice, no pain killers (I'm stubborn), wondering if compression might be a good idea?
Click to expand...

Ok been there done that had the t-shirt worn it to go running in. My system was lots of stretching and ignoring the problem until it went away. Don't do that unless you want to be rudely awakened by pain in the night and shin bones with ripples in them.
Jrahien is better than me regarding treatment of injuries, so follow his guidance. I am an old distance runner, well old and was a distance runner really but close enough as such my advise is training based.

Red flags I see

You are running intervals, and have either just started or increased intensity.
There is nothing wrong with intervals, I have done them and there is nothing to replace them. However you are deliberately going flat out, the time when style will suffer most, recovering insufficiently then flat out again. This means your form will get worse as time moves on and you will be more prone to RSIs like shin splints.
Be really sure that you are ready to progress up in intensity, either going for faster pace or short increase in time on the fast section. Remember if you are used to doing 1 minute/ 20 seconds and move up to 1:05/ 20 seconds you are increasing the intensity of the sprint and having more to recover from in 20 seconds, proportionately this 5 second increase is a lot even if you may not instantly think so.
Progressing in this gradual manner will give results with les injury risk. Alternatively set distance markers were you were at each minute this time and aim to exceed them next time in the same minute, intensity increased, no additional time, but more risk of form suffering.

Always get feedback on your running, the best of us get it wrong. I was getting good places and times with bad form, took a year out to correct it and came back faster than ever. Keeping a close eye on form has meant running hasn't caused me any injuries since despite now being almost 1.5 times my running weight.
You are wearing artificial aids to correct posture etc. when running, what will often happen with these is your body will start to correct itself a bit meaning you have to change what you use or correct technique again. The body is helping you but unless you are ready for the help this can appear as a hindrance.

Not using painkillers isn't stubborn it's smart. Pain is there as a warning to let you know you are damaging yourself. Ignore it or block it at your peril.

If you want to be able to run, you can't replace it, just take it slower. If it's not important to you then by all means use swimming etc. instead
 
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You say your shoes "fit well" - but how old are they? I would start with possibly a new pair of shoes. I know I start to get shin splints when my shoes are telling me they need to be replaced!!
 
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