I went to a specialist who took all kinds of x-rays and tests and told me i had bi-lateral stress related injuries (fractures) in both tibias. They are extremely painful, and are stopping me from training legs. I cant squat and its really klling me! I noticed pain in the left one about 6 months ago while squatting. I stopped traing legs for a few weeks and the pain seemed to subside, so i resumed my usuall brutal leg sessions, and within a month or so..the right one acted up! Its been 6 months since i had a pain free leg session! Im so frusterated, the left one is a little better than the right. Is there anything i can do besides Icing? I there any exercise or stretch that will help this go away? Its been waaaaaay too long for this to still be hurting, there has to be somthing i can do? Please help, ill try anything
-
Hello, this board in now turned off and no new posting.
Please REGISTER at Anabolic Steroid Forums, and become a member of our NEW community!
-
Check Out IronMag Labs® KSM-66 Max - Recovery and Anabolic Growth Complex
Stress Fractures in Shins...OUCH
- Thread starter tommyguns
- Start date
Have you ever seen that picture on the net where this guy was squatting and his shin broke and his foot is twisted around behind him and the bar is still across his shoulders???
Well thats what happened to him but he probably didn't know about it and it "snapped" while he was lifting.
Its an ugly picture.
Well thats what happened to him but he probably didn't know about it and it "snapped" while he was lifting.
Its an ugly picture.
I did it from overusing my legs during footbal combined with training, i first noticed it during squats...thanks for the thought scotty...your a big help...you should get a job at a local crisis center
hehehehe, sorry for the mental picture. 
not that I've seen stress fractures at the hospital, but I know they are painful. obviously you can't exert yourself to your previous level of training. is there any treatment that your specialist offered or do they potentially heal on their own?
aren't you on pain meds or something?
i would have to say just train legs in another fashion and understand your limitations so that you don't promote more injury. maybe different exercise that isolate your various leg muscles as opposed to doing heavy compound movements.
as well, accept that you will need to use lower poundage and maybe higher reps simply to tone your muscle as opposed to striving for hypertrophy.
i know that's probably not what you wanted to hear
sorry.
aren't you on pain meds or something?
i would have to say just train legs in another fashion and understand your limitations so that you don't promote more injury. maybe different exercise that isolate your various leg muscles as opposed to doing heavy compound movements.
as well, accept that you will need to use lower poundage and maybe higher reps simply to tone your muscle as opposed to striving for hypertrophy.
i know that's probably not what you wanted to hear
sorry.
Stress fractures in shins...OUCH
Your solution lies in your sign-off quote:
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got..."
Need I say any more, except back off, get someone to check your "form".
If your heels are lifting off the floor at the bottom of the squat, then it's obvious the calves need lengthening. I use that word instead of 'stretching' as most people's focus when stretching is entirely 'maintenance' stretching. Short, tight soleus and gastrochnemius muscles have to be 'educated' to relax and lengthen.
www.posture-and-flexibility.com.au
Experience is a wonderful thing.
It enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.
Your solution lies in your sign-off quote:
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got..."
Need I say any more, except back off, get someone to check your "form".
If your heels are lifting off the floor at the bottom of the squat, then it's obvious the calves need lengthening. I use that word instead of 'stretching' as most people's focus when stretching is entirely 'maintenance' stretching. Short, tight soleus and gastrochnemius muscles have to be 'educated' to relax and lengthen.
www.posture-and-flexibility.com.au
Experience is a wonderful thing.
It enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.
It will take heaps longer if you keep training.
Stretching and icing will not heal it if you don't....
REST
Stretching and icing will not heal it if you don't....
REST
I believe this is the one......
I got stress fractures in my shins before. They were chronic posterior shin splints (on the inside) that just got worse and worse because I couldn't stop training. Eventually they became stress fractures and they throbbed and hurt all the time, not just while I was training. At this point I decided to go get x rays done because they were killing me all the time.
Here are some things the trainer told me that may be helpful....
1) They said to rest for 3-4 weeks and ice, ice, ice every day. They said shin splints aren't something you can work through, they only get worse and then you end up in more pain so you're better off to take a few weeks and just rest them.
2) Always wear good shoes with lots of cushioning and good arch support. Besides overuse, I also overpronate (that's when your foot turns slightly in when you walk or run) This was so slight that I had never even noticed it before, but it can be a cause of shin problems. A running shoe shop can match you up with shoes that fit your particular foot mechanics, it really makes a HUGE difference, especially if you supplement your training with cardio, or do any kind of walking/running (even walking around campus or standing on your feet at work). They will actually have you bring in an old pair of shoes to determine your wear pattern. I never trust those Foot Locker-type places at the mall, the people who work there usually don't know much about footwear, they are just retail clerks, not athletes themselves.
3) They said to start every workout, whether cardio or strength training, with 5-10 minutes of gentle warm up, like walking on the treadmill, followed by stretching just to get the muscles warm and loose so they are not shocked by a heavy workout. I also stop several times during the workout to stretch. There are stretching tips available online if you do a search in google for "shin splints stretches"
4) The trainer gave me some exercises to start doing a few months before the next season began. They actually helped me avoid the dreaded shin splints for 3/4 of the season, and when I did get them they weren't as bad.
Lying on your back with legs in the air do 3 sets of the following 3x a day.:
a) point both toes and then flex them as far as possible (15 reps)
b) now alternate (one foot is felxed while the other is pointed- 15 reps)
c) circle both ankles around together, using the full range of motion (15 reps then switch directions and do 15 more)
These sound easy, but if you do them correctly you really feel the burn. If your shins are really killing you now I would just rest & ice for a couple of weeks before you start doing the excercises.
They told me that other causes for shin problems can be a muscle imbalance (calves too strong in relation to shin muscles), and training to much to soon, like if you have been out of the gym for a while and then go "full steam ahead" instead of easing into your old schedule.
If you like mountain biking, that might be a good way to keep your legs in shape while you are resting up your shins. Good luck, remember to ice a lot.
Here are some things the trainer told me that may be helpful....
1) They said to rest for 3-4 weeks and ice, ice, ice every day. They said shin splints aren't something you can work through, they only get worse and then you end up in more pain so you're better off to take a few weeks and just rest them.
2) Always wear good shoes with lots of cushioning and good arch support. Besides overuse, I also overpronate (that's when your foot turns slightly in when you walk or run) This was so slight that I had never even noticed it before, but it can be a cause of shin problems. A running shoe shop can match you up with shoes that fit your particular foot mechanics, it really makes a HUGE difference, especially if you supplement your training with cardio, or do any kind of walking/running (even walking around campus or standing on your feet at work). They will actually have you bring in an old pair of shoes to determine your wear pattern. I never trust those Foot Locker-type places at the mall, the people who work there usually don't know much about footwear, they are just retail clerks, not athletes themselves.
3) They said to start every workout, whether cardio or strength training, with 5-10 minutes of gentle warm up, like walking on the treadmill, followed by stretching just to get the muscles warm and loose so they are not shocked by a heavy workout. I also stop several times during the workout to stretch. There are stretching tips available online if you do a search in google for "shin splints stretches"
4) The trainer gave me some exercises to start doing a few months before the next season began. They actually helped me avoid the dreaded shin splints for 3/4 of the season, and when I did get them they weren't as bad.
Lying on your back with legs in the air do 3 sets of the following 3x a day.:
a) point both toes and then flex them as far as possible (15 reps)
b) now alternate (one foot is felxed while the other is pointed- 15 reps)
c) circle both ankles around together, using the full range of motion (15 reps then switch directions and do 15 more)
These sound easy, but if you do them correctly you really feel the burn. If your shins are really killing you now I would just rest & ice for a couple of weeks before you start doing the excercises.
They told me that other causes for shin problems can be a muscle imbalance (calves too strong in relation to shin muscles), and training to much to soon, like if you have been out of the gym for a while and then go "full steam ahead" instead of easing into your old schedule.
If you like mountain biking, that might be a good way to keep your legs in shape while you are resting up your shins. Good luck, remember to ice a lot.
Thanks Michelle you were extremely helpful. I'll start doing the exercise today. What about exercises that dont really hurt the shins like leg presses and extensions? Can i still do them, or is it best to drop them all and dont train my legs. By "rest" you mean rest all together, or just stop training legs?
hey michelle,
i had a question to your excellent post.
i run a lot and find my shins are sore which i guess you do call "shin splints" but they aren' t terribly painful.....yet.
i'ld like to avoid what you guys went through if i can.
i have an overpronation problem too, i can tell by how i run and the way my shoes conform after a lot of wear.
i've been wondering if this is going to affect my shins/calves in the future and cause damage when i run. i want to train for a marathon but not destroy my legs.
was your trainer a personal trainer or did you see physio?
it seems that s/he had great advice for your problem.
who wouldyou recommend i speak to about this pot. problem?
thanks for any advice.
i had a question to your excellent post.
i run a lot and find my shins are sore which i guess you do call "shin splints" but they aren' t terribly painful.....yet.
i'ld like to avoid what you guys went through if i can.
i have an overpronation problem too, i can tell by how i run and the way my shoes conform after a lot of wear.
i've been wondering if this is going to affect my shins/calves in the future and cause damage when i run. i want to train for a marathon but not destroy my legs.
was your trainer a personal trainer or did you see physio?
it seems that s/he had great advice for your problem.
who wouldyou recommend i speak to about this pot. problem?
thanks for any advice.
shins
Well...I'm not a physical therapist or anything, so I don't want to tell you the wrong thing, but I would guess the golden rule would be if it hurts your shins, don't do it. Maybe start light and see if you can just keep on a maintenence schedule while they heal.
The thing I am unsure about is the muscle imbalance issue. That could be part of the problem....If your calves are super strong and tight, maybe you need to get your shin muscles strong enough to compensate for them and get your lower legs more flexible before you proceed to gain more strength. If your insurance covers massage that might help too. Mine doesn't
I also like to put a light weight on the leg press machine and with straight legs, touching only the balls of my feet to the surface, I do sort of a reverse toe raise, pointing and flexing my feet until I feel it in my shins. I have to go real light with this one or else my shin muscles get tight and cramped, then they just feel worse.
I would definately not to do any running or weight-bearing cardio until they feel 100% better though.
If anyone has any PT background, feel free to chime in, I can only say what has worked for me.
Well...I'm not a physical therapist or anything, so I don't want to tell you the wrong thing, but I would guess the golden rule would be if it hurts your shins, don't do it. Maybe start light and see if you can just keep on a maintenence schedule while they heal.
The thing I am unsure about is the muscle imbalance issue. That could be part of the problem....If your calves are super strong and tight, maybe you need to get your shin muscles strong enough to compensate for them and get your lower legs more flexible before you proceed to gain more strength. If your insurance covers massage that might help too. Mine doesn't
I also like to put a light weight on the leg press machine and with straight legs, touching only the balls of my feet to the surface, I do sort of a reverse toe raise, pointing and flexing my feet until I feel it in my shins. I have to go real light with this one or else my shin muscles get tight and cramped, then they just feel worse.
I would definately not to do any running or weight-bearing cardio until they feel 100% better though.
If anyone has any PT background, feel free to chime in, I can only say what has worked for me.
for Elvn
Elvn,
I was competing on a gymnastics team at the time of the stress fractures, I went to an orthopedic specialist for the x-rays and we had an athletic trainer who gave me the exercises. It was my coach who first pointed out the overpronation problem. I had never even noticed it before.
When I was doing gymnastics, I would get shinsplints on the inside on both legs. Now I don't do gymnastics anymore but for general fitness I run 3-5 miles a few times a week. Now that I am running I get only one shinsplint, on the outside of my left leg. It feels different too, this one puffs up and you can actually see it sticking out. Weird. I guess different muscles react to the different forms of wear & tear.
I am not a distance runner, I don't usually do more than 10-15 miles a week but shoes do make a big difference, you should go to a running shoe store and ask them to recommend some models that help limit overpronation (bring your old ones) If you are planning to train for a marathon you might want to ask your regular doctor to recommend a specialist who will fit you for orthotics. They are special inserts that go into your shoe and they can help with things like overpronation. The custom fit ones I believe are expensive but you can get cheaper ones (maybe they could help with that at the running store too?)
I notice my weird left leg shin splint acts up most often when I am in a hurry, like when I go for a run at lunch (we only get a 1/2 hour) so I try to run too fast without a proper warm up. Once it flares up I end up limping back to the office, so now I never skimp on the warm up (walking for a few minutes, then a slow jog). I also stop a few times during the run to stretch it by pointing my toe and pulling my foor forward and rubbing it to loosen it up. If it is really bad I will just stop and walk instead. I get so frustrated when this happens but if I try to push through it, it ends up hurting all week.
If you do some searching online, they have a lot of tips for stretching and shin splints on the running websites.
Elvn,
I was competing on a gymnastics team at the time of the stress fractures, I went to an orthopedic specialist for the x-rays and we had an athletic trainer who gave me the exercises. It was my coach who first pointed out the overpronation problem. I had never even noticed it before.
When I was doing gymnastics, I would get shinsplints on the inside on both legs. Now I don't do gymnastics anymore but for general fitness I run 3-5 miles a few times a week. Now that I am running I get only one shinsplint, on the outside of my left leg. It feels different too, this one puffs up and you can actually see it sticking out. Weird. I guess different muscles react to the different forms of wear & tear.
I am not a distance runner, I don't usually do more than 10-15 miles a week but shoes do make a big difference, you should go to a running shoe store and ask them to recommend some models that help limit overpronation (bring your old ones) If you are planning to train for a marathon you might want to ask your regular doctor to recommend a specialist who will fit you for orthotics. They are special inserts that go into your shoe and they can help with things like overpronation. The custom fit ones I believe are expensive but you can get cheaper ones (maybe they could help with that at the running store too?)
I notice my weird left leg shin splint acts up most often when I am in a hurry, like when I go for a run at lunch (we only get a 1/2 hour) so I try to run too fast without a proper warm up. Once it flares up I end up limping back to the office, so now I never skimp on the warm up (walking for a few minutes, then a slow jog). I also stop a few times during the run to stretch it by pointing my toe and pulling my foor forward and rubbing it to loosen it up. If it is really bad I will just stop and walk instead. I get so frustrated when this happens but if I try to push through it, it ends up hurting all week.
If you do some searching online, they have a lot of tips for stretching and shin splints on the running websites.
