Shin Splints?

Question

I play field hockey and we run a 1.5 to 2 mile 3 times a week atleast. I keep getting these pains on my shin and my knee cap. Should I skip practice for a day or two and ice and rest. I don't know if I should skip It really hurts though, when I stand, walk, and run. I get these shooting pains up my leg. What should I do?

Answer 1

First a little background on shin-splints:
Shin-splints usually occur when a runner of any type spends a lot of time running on hard ground like asphalt or concrete. Runner where literally pulling the muscle off of the bone. This is why most schools/gyms have replaced their track with the spongy stuff that cushions the runner's feet. Since then, true shin splints are rare, where the muscle is torn off of the bone. Today, shin splints are mostly stretched and over-taxed muscles.

Second, try a couple of these tests:
1) sit down on the floor with your leg relaxed. Use your arms to flex your leg keeping your leg muscles completely relaxed. Notice if you have no pain, slight pain, or major pain. Have someone help if you need it.
2) With no weight on your leg, use your leg muscles to flex your leg, notice if you have none or slight pain, or a lot of pain.
3)You'll need help for this. Sit on a table, and have someone stand in front of you, using their arms, place one arm on each leg, and then you flex against them using both legs at the same time. Ask them if your sore leg is noticeably weaker than your good leg.
If you hurt a muscle: #1 should have none or very little pain, #2 should have moderate pain, and on #3, your sore leg should be noticeably weaker than your good leg.
If you hurt a ligament, tendon, or bone, #1 and #2 should have the same amount of pain, and #3 is ambivalent.

If you hurt a muscle, heat pack 2x a day for 20 minutes, back off of the intense running and begin again at a much slower and easy pace. SLOWLY work your way back to normal. If at any time you experience this pain again, you need to back off and slow your pace. You may need a training regimen designed by a sports physician or athletic trainer if you keep having this problem.
Massaging the leg can help, along with a certain taping technique, which only a sports physician / athletic trainer can help you with.
If its not a muscle, OR the pain will not go away after several days or keeps getting worse, you need to see a physician.

Answer 2

It's up to you if you want to skip, but it won't make them disappear when you do run. Do you have good running shoes? If not, then invest in some if you are able to. I ran track and cross country and know the pain they can cause. I would ice my shins at night. I can't remember the length of time, but it was something like 15 minutes on (ice) then 15 minutes off. Repeat for as long as you feel comfortable with. I used that blue mineral ice sometimes too, just not while icing. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I agree with another poster, go with arch supports. However once you have them, they wont go away. You actually need to take a week or even 2 off to get them to heal. And unfortunately once you've gotten them, you'll be prone to getting them easier in the future. Make sure to stretch very good before you're workouts too...and stretch after. Muscle injuries like these are awful, especially when its during the season.

Answer 4

I used to get shin splints during track season. My doctor said it was because my arches were falling. I still wear arch supports. You can buy them anywhere. Walmart, drugstore, etc.

Answer 5

Your pharmacist knows that a quinine capsule once every 4 to 6 months will stop those cramps, but it takes a prescription for it now. Your doctor would probably call one in for you, and it's very inexpensive.