Shin splints??

Question

Is it normal to feel pain all the time when i am running or walking alot?? I have always, as long as i can remember, had shin pains. Its so painful now, that when i run i have to stop 2 seconds into it. Is this something that is normal , can it be fixed by stretching more or something???

Answer 1

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 2

I used to get shin splints all the time when I would run. When I was still in the Army, I would have to run near everyday so this really became a problem. After talking with numerous runners and physical therapists, I was told some info that really made running a lot less painful and easier to handle.

Shin splints are microscopic tears in the muscles of the shin. It is actually small pieces that are seperated from the shin bone, hence the nasty pain. Stretching is one of the best ways to deal with this, but it is something that will take some time.

There are several ways to stretch your calves (which help to stretch the are on the front of the shin as well). My favorite is to put your foot against something with your toes and upper part of your foot (ball of your foot) pointed skyward. Slowly lean into your foot and feel the calf muscle stretch. As you do this, you will also be stretching the front part of the leg as well. Do it slowly and hold for 30 seconds before switching to the other leg. Repeat again.

There is also a method called taping that you could use. This is when you use sports tape to wrap around your calves and shins. This holds the muscle tight and greatly eliminates shin pains, but it should only be used in small doses as relying upon this method will make the problems worse in the long run.

You might want to also look at how fast/slow you are running. The slower you run, the more stress is put upon your joints and muscles, which could greatly aggravate existing shin splints. When I would get them while running, I would stop and walk a bit and then stretch out my calves again. This would greatly help me to reduce the pain they caused and loosen up the calves for more running. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

It's not normal to have shin pain all the time. See a doctor.

Once you are pain-free, add this exercise to your warm-up.

Keep the heel of your foot on the ground and lift up the rest of your foot and tap it back down on the ground until you feel a little fatigue in your shin. This will help you warm up and if you do it between runs will help prevent shin splints from coming back

Answer 4

It's a common injury but not normal. Try walking a backwards 400 after runs. That helps strengthen your shin muscles. Also, have someone sit or stand on your toes (with shoes on!) and keeping your heels on the ground try to lift up your toes. That will also strenthen them. Do about 2x20 reps of this exercise after running. Don't OVER stretch though!

Also, be open to the fact it might be a stress fracture which you'll have to get looked into by a doctor if the pain continues!

Answer 5

Shin pain could be caused by your shoes.

If you can get to a shoe store that specializes in running shoes, they are better at looking at your running form and recommending a shoe for you.
Fleet Feet is a chain of stores around the country, but there are many stores owned and worked in by runners. They can watch the the way your foot and ankle react when they land and decide if you need a motion control or stability shoe.

That was my problem. When I ran, my foot and ankle would roll to the inside, pulling on the tendons on the shin. When I got motion control shoes, the problem was fixed.

Answer 6

That doesn't sound normal, shin splints hurt but not for that long or make you stop 2 seconds into your run. I suggest stretching more, icing them, and wrapping them. Thats what I did when I got them in track. there really isn't a lot you can do for them, mostly just rest.

Answer 7

You should probably see a doctor before doing any sort of running regiment. I get shin splints when I run/jog but not when I play basketball or soccer. No clue why. For cardio workouts I've switched to biking or one of those elliptical machines at the gym. Just a suggestion.

Answer 8

yes it's normal (atleast for me) to a degree, otherwise, it may be bad enough that you have to see a dr
usually i push through it, but i learned how to fix shin splints,
you can buy a special sock, or ice 10 min on, 10 min off, for 2-4 hours before bed the next time you get shin splints, they should then be gone until you change your routine/distance/pace/season

stretch well
good luck, never quit, never give up

Answer 9

You really need to read "Stop Shin Splints" by Gary Buchenic (also available in electronic format here: http://www.shinsplintscure.org ). It's about how to permanently cure your shin splints naturally. Worked for me and for thousands of people. Good luck!

Answer 10

Not normal. Shin splints can come on when you do too much after having not worked out for awhile, but if it happens all the time you need to see a dr.!