How do you cure/prevent shin splints?

[Nolan]

Got them, and it doesn't feel too good.

Are they caused by the type of shoe I'm wearing...do i weigh too much...?

I'm fine the first week of running, but after the first day of the second week, my legs are killing me?

Anyone know?

[hawk_claw]

yeah i get em too...sin splits are when there's is too much pressure on ur shins...stuff like jumping and running cause this...it goes away after a week usually ( fer me it has)....i would use ice its helps the pain...try using abig crepe bandage...and wrap that around ur leg ( with the ice on ur shins)...and leave it there an dlike sit down or lay down n watch a soccer game:) lol...hope it gets better.l8r

[BWMcTell]

I have shin splints right now and it doesnt feel good. My advice is to try not to put too much pressure on them. Ice is a good idea. Try doing the bike instead of running. They can take a long time to get rid of, sometimes more than a month. I havent used a treadmill in 4 or 5 weeks because of it. The only advice is just to take it easy and try less strenuous exercise.

[Froggy316]

yeh i went to the doctor for em. i took ibuprofen a few times a day for a couple weeks while i did special stretches and strengthening excercises for my ankles. that seems to have fixed it. we'll see this season though.

[Ben16]

my dad had them a while back. doctor showed him some stretches to do(check google for those i guess) and told him to avoid running on a track and run on grass instead. good luck with them.

[seahawkdad]

Go to http://www.google.com and key in shin splints for the search. Lots of stuff there.

Many years ago I participated in high impact aerobics and learned this exercise: stand with your weight on one leg and, with your other foot, heel on the floor, raise and lower the front of it as high as you can with your heel still on the floor. Repeat this for about a minute at the rate of one raise per second. Then do the other leg. Do this three times for each leg. Make this part of your regular streching/warm-up routine.

[dj43]

There can be several contributing causes to shin splints. Some of them are:
1. rapid increase in training.
2. lack of proper warm-up
3. shoe design (many fold in the middle like a wallet thereby providing no support)
4. hard surface

BUT, the most common major contibuting factor is over-pronation. Some people call it "flat feet" (a misnomer since many people have over-pronating feet that do not have the prototypical low arch profile).

Over-pronation occurs when the foot over-rotates to the medial, or inside of the foot, when you transition from heel strike through mid-stride, and finally on to toe-off.

During this over-pronation phase the lower end of the tibia (shin bone) rotates toward the inside of the leg at a rate faster than normal. This movement fights with a muscle group that attaches to the front of the tibia and run up and towards the outside of the leg. The initial result is that the attaching tendons of this muscle group are pulled strongly as if to yank them off the bone. This results in soreness and inflamation.

If untreated, and a high rate of activity persists, this condition can actually result in a stress facture.

The best treatment to achieve long-term results is to use a sports orthotic, usually custom but there are a couple of good over-the-counter ones. Orthotics reduce or eliminate the over-pronation thereby eliminating the cause of most shin splints.

The reason many feel this condition is caused by the firmness of the surface is that the harder the surface, the more dramatic the impact of the over-pronation. If you reduce the level of activity, and move to a softer surface, the shin splints are likely to not re-occur. BUT, who wants to wait for that???

My advice is to shop around for a good podiatrist (foot doctor) who ideally is used to treating athletes. He can analyze your gait and condition, make a diagnosis and correct the problem.

If you can't find a good podiatrist in your area, seek out a good specialty running store. These folks are very used to dealing with this problem and stock effective over-the-counter orthotics that will fit in many soccer boots.

This is not all that hard to cure. I am just amazed at how much of this occurs in soccer and how very few soccer retailers have any idea of how to treat the problem. As I mentioned above, this is a common problem and there are common solutions. Soccer retailers need to take a lesson from running stores and start providing a source for a solution.

[vakeeper22]

Do ice rubs. Take a dixie cup, fill it with water, stick it in the freezer. Then take the cup, peel some of it away, and rub your shin. Or you can do a slushie, fill a bucket with water and ice and stick your legs in it. do both of these for about 10-15 minutes.

[Bleacherbutt]

The best way to make an ice pack for the shins is to take a pair of kids (or small adult) shin guards and and place a 3/4 full Zip Lob bag on outside of the shinguards and let them freeze. This will create a curve that will make applying the ice very easy. After the game, remove your shinguards adn put the ice between the first and the second sock. The contact works great. Then place the ice packs back on the shinguards in the freezer after you use them for 20-25 minutes.

[Nolan]

Thanks!