Shins! Again!

[RokensWife]

At the end of my 'week off', my shins were feeling fine! As soon as I started my light jog today, they kicked back in and I just don't know what to do. I absolutely love running - it fits in with our day (baby goes to bed, husband studies in peace while I run with the dog) and it's free! Could anybody advise me as to what steps I should take with this shin pain? I feel like I'd be wasting the doctor's time but we don't have two ha'pennys to rub together at the moment so buying even more running shoes is out of the question. Please help :0( xxx

[Jefna Graduate]

Hey, I feel your pain...literally! I suffer with shin splints and have found a few things help ease the pain.

The most important thing is go for a gait analysis if you haven't already. I got some new shoes and these have helped but not completely. (Edited: sorry I've just read your message again and saw what you said about money. I was the same so didn't have my gait analysis done til after I graduated. I'd saved up a bit my then and it was so worth it though)

I suffer with tight calf muscles and I think this contributes to my shin problems so I make sure I stretch my calves really well before and after a run.

I have an ice bath after every run (I say ice bath, it's a bath ran with freezing cold water only!) it's not as bad as it sounds...once you're in anyway! Haha! And if they are particularly bad, I ice them for a day or two after also.

But the biggest help has been kinesiology tape. This stuff is magic! I tape my shins up the night before a run or first thing in the morning. Here's a pic I posted the night before my 5k race on Sat

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

I can honestly say I felt no pain at all, not even a twinge during the run. It's also best to keep it on for the rest of the day and night after the run also.

Have a read up about it and if you do invest in some, make sure you read up about exactly how to place the tape (there are some YouTube videos which are really helpful) as it's different areas for posterior or anterior shin splints so you need to make sure you have it on the right area or it won't work.

Hope these little tips help, I know how frustrating it is, just make sure you rest well between runs. I unfortunately need my rest days and can't run with only 1 rest day otherwise I'm back to square one so I can only fit in 2 runs per week.

Oh and I find wearing heels for work etc the day after a run doesn't help. I think our muscles get confused going between flats and heels!

[Jefna Graduate]

Oh and you probably know this, but running on pavements and roads won't help so if you could suss out some routes which are mainly grass, this would help also

[RokensWife Graduate]

Thank you! Yes we are in a bit of a bind money wise at the moment,,,my husband is still training and I'm not working as I'm at home with baby so there's literally nothing at the end of the month.

With regard to resting between runs, do you mean do as little activity as possible or 'active' rest...we don't have a car so I do a fair bit of walking.

When I used to see the physio for sciatica when I was 18, he said I had really short calf muscles...I wonder if that has anything to do with it? But I've never encountered shin splints before...I was quite the runner before I had my son.

No fear with the heels! I can't remember the last time I wore them ha ha! X

[Jefna Graduate in reply to RokensWife]

By rest day I mean no running. To be honest I don't do much in between my runs in terms of other exercise or walking so I suppose your rest days are a bit more active than mine.

It's strange that you used to run and never suffered before?! I've always had a problem with them every time I tried to run in the past!

Try the calf stretches and also massaging them might help. Massaging the shins may help also but be careful and avoid massing the shin bone incase there is any damage to the bone, you don't want to make it worse, so just massage to the side of the bone.

I really hope you find a solution! It's such a shame that we have to go through this without being able to enjoy running without worrying about it!