Shin Splint Dilemma

[Sordel]

I have developed symptoms of classic medial tibial shin splints over the last couple of weeks: diffuse discomfort running vertically down the shin on the inside of the leg. This does not extend to the foot, there seems to be no area especially painful to the touch, but I am now aware of throbbing both day & night.

I wear supportive shoes and have observed mandated rest days so I suspect that the root cause is tight, overdeveloped calves. When I self-diagnosed I started doing stretching exercises in the lower legs and trying to massage the affected area. I also got compression sleeves but have not used ice or painkillers so far. The pain is about 3 out of 10 but promises to get worse and more prolonged if not addressed.

I don't want to rest because ... well, I don't want to rest! That and the fact that rest alone is unlikely to do much good other than tamp down the symptoms for a while.

Can anyone suggest a good compromise that gets me off the path to a stress fracture but doesn't involve a significant break from running? (My next run would be W8R3.)

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

Enjoy your journey.

[rawtunaman]

Hi Sordel, saw your post from a few months ago while searching for shin splint words of advice. Hope you're still at it. Did you ever find a solution you can recommend to bad shin splints? I noticed historically there's relatively little conversation on this chat specifically regarding shin splints - is this condition that uncommon? I too suffer from massive pain in my shins if I don't stretch or warm up properly (and I usually perform at least 15 minutes of leg stretching prior to a run). My swelling typically goes down after I stop running, maybe after 10-15 minutes after I stop. Also I'm finding on the longer runs for me (10 minutes or greater) my shins can start making the run very painful. Some days are worse than others, can't quite figure out why. I've tried sleeves, shoes marketed to lesson shin splint pain, special socks, not sure I've noticed a difference no matter what I do quite frankly. Is this just our lot or is there a way to live shin splint pain free while running for exercise? Thanks for your thoughts in advance! All the best. Cheers.