Anyone dealing with shin splints?

[jcote]

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Ok, so I want to do some jogging but always seem to get these shin splints.
I would like to know 1) why I am afflicted with this dreaded condition and b) what the heck can I do to minimize the pain enough to tolerate it?

Do you have experience with a remedy or treatment? I'd sure like to know. Thanks.

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[P-funk]

shin splits happen because of tissue overload, due to poor stabilization during gait. basically, you are probably over pronating and your knee is internally rotating. Try working on your glute strength (esp. glute medius) with things like glute bridges and crab walks. Working on squatting an pressing your knees out and not letting them bow in, place the bands from the crab walks up over your knees to use as a propropceptive cue to make yourself remeber to dirve the knees out and align them properly over the toes. Work on your push off.....chances are you aren't getting a good push off from your calves, hit the posterior chain and hit your calves with things like double leg quick feet drils and even calf raises. Also, do ankle dorsiflexion so that you can work on flexing your feet better as they clear the ground so they can absorb force more efficiently.

 

[P-funk]

oh, ice and stretch your hip adductors and your peroneals.

 

[PWGriffin]

wow

 

[ponyboy]

What Patrick said.

Also a couple of very common things I have seen cause shin splints:

Improper shoes - whether you are a pronator or not (meaning your feet turn inwards when you take a step in bare feet, causing your knee to rotate inwards as well) you may not be wearing the right shoes for your gait. For example, running in cross trainers is a no no because they provide no support for a proper foot strike.

Also, you would really need to take a look at your gait cycle. Often shin splints are also a result of overstriding, meaning you take too long a stride when you run. Try to make sure you adhere to a higher cadence (meaning up to 90 foot strikes per minute) to keep your strides shorter and reduce the chance of overstriding.

 

[AKIRA]

What Patrick said.

Also a couple of very common things I have seen cause shin splints:

Improper shoes - whether you are a pronator or not (meaning your feet turn inwards when you take a step in bare feet, causing your knee to rotate inwards as well) you may not be wearing the right shoes for your gait. For example, running in cross trainers is a no no because they provide no support for a proper foot strike.

Also, you would really need to take a look at your gait cycle. Often shin splints are also a result of overstriding, meaning you take too long a stride when you run. Try to make sure you adhere to a higher cadence (meaning up to 90 foot strikes per minute) to keep your strides shorter and reduce the chance of overstriding.

Ive suffered from shin splints too. In my full time job, I have to go from a standstill/walk to a high speed run when I have to chase someone down. The next 1-2 weeks, Ive got ice straps to each shin. Sucks, but in my job, I cant ask a shoplifter to wait until I stretch.

Anyway, I never thought a long stride could promote this. If anything I thought a shorter stride would mess them up.

 

[P-funk]

What Patrick said.

Also a couple of very common things I have seen cause shin splints:

Improper shoes - whether you are a pronator or not (meaning your feet turn inwards when you take a step in bare feet, causing your knee to rotate inwards as well) you may not be wearing the right shoes for your gait. For example, running in cross trainers is a no no because they provide no support for a proper foot strike.

Also, you would really need to take a look at your gait cycle. Often shin splints are also a result of overstriding, meaning you take too long a stride when you run. Try to make sure you adhere to a higher cadence (meaning up to 90 foot strikes per minute) to keep your strides shorter and reduce the chance of overstriding.

yea, shoes are important.

PB, when you say 90 foot strikes, you mean 90 counting only one foot. Jack Daniels recommends 180-200 steps (total between both feet) every minute, in the Runner's Formula book. I usually have people count how many times their right foot touches the ground in 30sec and then multiply by 4.

 

[ponyboy]

yea, shoes are important.

PB, when you say 90 foot strikes, you mean 90 counting only one foot. Jack Daniels recommends 180-200 steps (total between both feet) every minute, in the Runner's Formula book. I usually have people count how many times their right foot touches the ground in 30sec and then multiply by 4.

Sorry, yes that's what I meant.

 

[CowPimp]

oh, ice and stretch your hip adductors and your peroneals.

I find a lot of people have some SERIOUS trigger points on their peroneals and adductors as well, so foam rolling may help in this regard.