Shins - Can we fix them - yes we can! Well nearly.....

[Greg_M]

The notes that follow do not constute advice, the value of your running socks may go up as well as down and your trainers are unlikely to be at risk if this information is not followed to the letter......no Gregs were harmed in the carrying out of the following experiment.

After a week or so of pretty painful shins earlier last month I thought I would put all my obsessive compulsive internet research to work - so my first action was to talk myself into thinking I was suffering spiral stress fractures of my whole life and that my body might explode if I went a step further - however I calmed down a bit and read some of the other stuff and created myself a programme based on the fact that:

a) it is likely that the problems were due to strength imbalances around my lower legs and hamstrings, a fairly perenial problem for me and that I really, finally, needed to deal with it.

b) I had to work the pain and slight swellings out before I could really progress to do anything about it.

So first and hardest step was to take a week out and not run at all which was miserable it has to be said. Through the week I iced the front of my shin regularly with an ice pack. Pretty much as often as it was convenient.

Combined with this I stepped up my obsessive stretches of my lower legs to loosen them all out.

i) Wall presses with legs straight and bent works on upper and lower calf

youtube.com/watch?v=1i8Qwos...(Not working as expected?)

youtube.com/watch?v=7NUmqbn...(Not working as expected?)

ii) Hamstring stretches works on back of leg

youtube.com/watch?v=f40HPUX...(Not working as expected?)

iii) Adductor stretches works inside of legs and

youtube.com/watch?v=yboRW0n...(Not working as expected?)

iv) Glute stretches (well you know.....)

youtube.com/watch?v=gE6mJ0V...(Not working as expected?)

v) Shin stretches (kneeling down sitting on heels to pull the front of my shins out though it was probably a week before I could bear this one.

youtube.com/watch?v=yko-HH7...(Not working as expected?)

Again all as often as was convenient but two or three times a day for sure.

Towards the end of the week as the discomfort was subsiding continued with all of the above but added:

i) calf raises every couple of days to start the strengthening process

youtube.com/watch?v=VGq8YzB...(Not working as expected?)

ii) Toe taps for my shin muscles (I can do these at work!)

youtube.com/watch?v=66r_kWv...(Not working as expected?)

Kept up with all of the above then started some light running again.

Finished up this week with a sports massage on my legs which was like putting my legs through a mangle but felt better the next day although my teeth are still embedded in the massage table!

Now run with shin compression, got myself a pair of 2XU shin guards which I wore for the first time today on a full distance (ish) 10K run at nearly full speed (52 mins) and mostly no shin pain at all. A little but fine. A bit of light icing afterwards and all is well again.

I am still doing most if not all of the above and toying with the idea of having the lad pummel my legs to jelly again on a periodic basis as part of routine maintenance, and I need to get my teeth back from him

I have been doing the stretches and stregthening bits and bobs so much I just find myself doing them unconcsiously now at the oddest times - in the queue at Waitrose, waiting for the kettle to boil at work etc etc some funny glances were experienced.

I shall keep going as I am terrified I might get laid up, this has become such a part of my life and well being now I don't know what I would do without it

[TJFlute]

Hey, I hope this all works for you, I think it actually will! My marathon friend (the 50 marathons in 50 days one) doesn't do stationary stretching. He does some sort of stretching through large movements. I'll get him to show me what he does and pass the info on to you.

Theresa

[AliB1 Graduate]

I need to start doing stretches so will take a closer look at the ones above. Saved me having to google them

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to AliB1]

When I was having my massage we discussed stretches and the trick as he saw it was not to go for bravado stretches you should as a matter of course only register 6 or 7 out of 10 on your stretchometer!

[shelleymcb Graduate]

thank you. stretches will come in handy for my left calf muscle which gets really tight.

I had an email from L*dl I think which has some running stuff this/next week. they had compression socks. do they help with shin/calf pain??

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to shelleymcb]

Itrs a bit early to tell for me but Mark181261 trailblazed this one for us with positive outcomes. I have only tried them once (today) and they were really comfortable and my calf and shin muscles felt nice and toasty the whole way. Time will tell I guess but Mark has been pleased with them.

[Scaly]

Thanks for this. I have ongoing niggles with my left shin (possibly because I'm compensating for a painful right knee!) and these are really useful. I can totally identify with your last paragraph - I feel exactly the same

[Hidden]

Excellent post! I'm glad it's working for you.

I do a similar set of stretches, I got them from a Sam Murphy book - the only additional ones are:

* a foot stretch for the plantar fascia (prevents heel pain and tight calves)

* two stretches for the quads (one specifically for the rectus femoris)

* one for the hip flexors

* one for the iliotibial band

As she's writing for women runners I think these cover those muscle groups where women may have more issues due to wearing heels and also the way that we are built in the first place (as in 'It must be jelly cause jam don't shake like that')

[TJFlute]

After all this time....a photo! And now I can put a face to 'Greg' who has helped me so much along the way.

So I thought I'd do the same. My confidence is growing beyond belief!!

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to TJFlute]

Oooooooo look at us coming out blinking into the sun

Hello all over again!

[TJFlute in reply to Greg_M]

The stretching the Hugh does is called 'dynamic stretching' and there's quite a bit of info on it on the website that you might find interesting. They say that static stretching is best on the cool down and dynamic stretching on the warm up. So there you go!

Also, during your coffee break you might enjoy hearing a bit about his 50 marathon challenge; you can find it on you tube if you type in 'true strength 50 marathons in 50 days'

[Greg_M Graduate]

cool thanks I'll check it out. Much obliged ma'am

[Ausencia]

Hiya - I found this information really helpful, as I've just begun to experience the pain of shin splints.

[sarahji]

Thanks for the link to this post..Ill certainly check out those stretches this week. I'm going to wait until Friday for my next run, the shin splints only started to ache today on the final run (W1R3) - (See I'm getting into the lingo already )

In the meantime, I found this link..

youtu.be/bu7dCLtcEB0(Not working as expected?)

[runningwild Graduate]

Thanks so much for all the advice Greg, have managed to get shin splints and can't run for a week. Frustrated as on W6 R2 , Oh well, will be worth it in the end.

[Greg_M Graduate in reply to runningwild]

it will, don't worry its entirely beatable

[ClareW1]

Hi Greg and all! Is anyone else going through the pain of shin splints at the moment? My story is that last year I did a half marathon in a good-ish time, within a fairly quick training time. This year however, from the GET GO my legs/shins have hurt and felt fragile. No massive increase in speed regarding running, but thinking maybe, maybe I had gone to the gym a lot more pre last years run. I am sat here feeling really sorry for myself after having done just a 5k yest and now being in pain. I did it- it was ok- but it ached and just feels horrible. My next half marathon is coming up soon and I am planning to take a week from running and do the things above but feeling a bit sad today! Any other advice or thoughts from runners who are or have been in similar situations? Thank you Clare xx