Shin splints question?

Question

Well it was a bad idea to run with 2 year old worn out shoes so I think I got shin splints on my left leg only. Football(soccer) season starts August 8th. Now I dont think this is nothing big, I just felt the pain a little DURING the running and I felt it more when I stopped and walked home. Any home remedies for treating this? I just put ice on it for now. I heard that the best way to treat shin splints is to rest and put ice on them. Again, it doesnt hurt too much and it doesnt hurt at all when im walking or standing.

So yeah, I plan to not run until August 8 but how many times a day should I put ice on it? Thanks.

Oh yeah, i read somewhere that if I tape the ankle it would benefit in the injury... so should I tape it during football tryouts? if so how do you do it, you just tape around the shin and that's it?

Answer 1

Read this.....it really helped me w/ mine. I use to also only get them in my left shin....

http://www.watfxc.com/TF/TF%20Education/shin_splints.htm

Answer 2

Shin splints are caused by muscle imbalance. Calf strong, shin weak. The way to correct this is to strengthen the muscles at the front of the legs. Lie face down in bed with your toes hanging over the edge. Pull your toes upward against the resistance of the mattress. Try to work up to 3 or 4 sets of 5 – 10 reps each. Good Luck

Answer 3

I cured my shin splints.
I have flat feet which cause my feet to pronate (roll inward) too much. This pulled on the ligaments and muscles of the lower leg. The first thing I tried was to put my bare foot on my other thigh with the arch looking up at me. Then I put two strips of Johnson & Johnson Waterproof Tape from the bottom of the arch to the top of the foot. Then I did the same with the other foot. This created an artificial arch which helped ease the pain.
The next thing I did was go to a shoe store the specializes in running shoes. They looked at my running form and recommended a "motion control" shoe. The combination of the two things cured my shin splints, and I've run eleven marathons since then without shin pain.
Maybe this might work for you.

Answer 4

Rest is a good start to getting over shin splints, as well as making sure you are wearing shoes that give your feet good support. To aid in relieving the pain, alternate between ice and heat on your shins. The ice will reduce any swelling, while the heat will relax the muscles.

I would also suggest doing this exercise the week before practice begins: stand on a step and do one-legged toe raises. this will aid in building strength in your shins and calves as well as stretching them and giving you a little more flexibility.

Answer 5

You should continue to ice and then do heat. If it really is sore, a little ibuprofen or Tylenol can help.

A couple of good excercises to strengthen that muscle are:

*pick up a towel with your toes--several times. You might want to do this while watching tv or reading the Yahoo Answers :D

*roll a bottle or can under your foot, being sure to get a good amount of movement with your foot.

When you can, get a pair of good running shoes and when you start to run again, try running on softer surfaces, such as trails or your football field.

Good luck!

Answer 6

snvvy's answer is absolutely correct.

I had bad shin splints and cured them once and for all using a similar stregnth building exercise (told to me by an Olympic sprinter!) I cured mine at my desk by putting my feet under the desk and lifting up, raising my toes towards my knees, using the desk for resistance.

Once fixed I never ever had a problem again and this was twenty four years ago!

Answer 7

i get shin splints all the time in track-> they tell you to take it easy for a couple days, ice about 2 times a day for 20 minutes, and stretch it by having someone push down on your feet (while you sit) and you push your foot up and down in resistance to it. it really helps!