Shin splints

[Clairemarie987]

I’m just due to start week 3 today, but have held fire, due to pain in my lower knees and skins. I’m presume it’s shin splints, does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this condition?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome back to the forum and well done on your progress.

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

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

Enjoy your journey.

[nowster Graduate]

Rest.

Shin splints tend to show as a pain in a line down the front inside of the lower legs, or sometimes down the inside back of the leg.

Nobody's absolutely sure what shin splints are. They may be tiny stress fractures in the bone. If so, that can take time to heal.

Any exercise that puts impact stress on the lower legs, or causes the foot to rotate during the stride, can trigger them.

Some people get relief from different shoes with arch support, some from extra padding (but excessive cushioning can make things worse). Gait analysis can help select more appropriate running shoes.

The problem with taking up running in a scheme like this is that our muscles develop faster than the structures that surround them, so ligament sprains, tendon sprains, joint problems and similar happen when your strength develops and you naturally push harder because you can.

I'm currently taking a few days off because I recognised the signs of impending shin splints on a run earlier in the week.

You might like to do some calf and ankle exercises:

foot-pain-explored.com/calf...

foot-pain-explored.com/ankl...

Another good lower leg exercise is to put a thick cushion or pillow on the floor, and try to balance on it on one leg. It's harder than you might imagine, and helps build up the lower leg and your proprioception (perception of limb position).

Ignoring pain is not a good move. It's a sign that something's wrong.