Shin pain since high school

Change the name and you describe my situation!! Since I was about that age (25 years ago!!!) and a cross coutry and road runner in high school I have suffered the shin pain you describe..... but at last I can report that since last October I have had an almost miraculous cure.

I used to have to be so careful about increasing mileage and even then at some point during a training plan I would suffer the seemingly inevitable 'shin pain'. Most people will tell you it's 'shin splints' which is a load of BS! Ask most people to define Shin splints and they will have no idea what they are on about.

You and I both suffer from "Anterior Compartment Syndrome', a condition where the Anterior Tibialis muscle on the front of the shin (the one that allows you to 'pick your foot up' when walking or running) swells during activity and gets compressed by a lack of elasticity in the muscle sheath ( aka compartment). This chronic swelling causes pain and ultimately temporary muscle disfunction since the swelling will actually prevent the AT muscle from contracting within the comapartment. I used to get this from long walks in hiking or climbing boots as they are heavy and require the AT muscle to work hard to flex the foot to enable normal gait.

I found that religously icing the shins after every run helped reduce the swelling and made it easier to get out training the next day, but it really didn't let me get the mileage to a level I was happy with. (Note that I could bring on a more severe case of shin pain by walking quickly than when running, presumably due to the changed gait when running which requires less foot flexion than walking?)

Last October I bought a pair of Nike Air Triax Elite, the lightest pair of shoes I have ever owned. And since then I have not had even one day of trouble - I can't rate highly enough the effect of a light pair of shoes!! (Just to prove the point - I ran 10 miles tonight and had no issues during or post the run - unheard of just 6 months ago.)

I'd see a good physical therapist who treats runners to be sure. There is an operation that 'slits' the compartment so that the AT can expand and not become aggravated by compression of the sheath. (use 'the knife' as alast resort!)

A word of caution - if you get tingling or numbness in your shins or feet after exercising, you should see a doctor as this could indicate nereve compression.

Hope this helps... Let me know how you go...

Cheers.

Take a look at Chi Running. It will change the way you run and may help prevent any injuries. Since I changed I am injury free. I'm not saying it is a cure all but you may see something in the technique that may help you. I also jump rope to strengthen my lower legs to prevent shin splints.

Mike

Thank you for the advice. I have not had any tingling or numbness...good sign. I am going to take a couple of weeks off of doing any running and stick to the bike, treadmill and jumping rope to help get my legs back into shape, since I have been away from it for so long. I will keep you posted.

Most shin pain/problems are caused by biomechanical issues. I know this because I have suffered many setbacks in training due to shin splints and a.c.s like you. I was so frustrated that I did a ton of research, and found out what truly causes shin splints. I found out that shin pain is caused by a tightening of the soleus muscle which lies under your calf muscle. The important issue is the trigger point which lies in the soleus muscle will spasm causing tightening and pain in the shin area. If you manipulate this trigger point within the soleus, you will notice an immediate relief of pain in the shin area! I discovered the tpmassageball at their site. I used the ball according to the directions, and experienced immediate relief. Im sorry for the long expanation, but I tried every other remedy, and this is the only thing that worked. You can email me for more details. Many top athletes are using this ball!! www.tpmassageball.com




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shin splints explanation.htm (8KB - 61 downloads)

Please tell me more! This is the one issue that has caused me the MOST frustration! It has forced me to re-direct my goals to accommodate my inability to run long distances.
I have followed the 10% rule as if it were the 10 commandments, I have been to the Orthopod for xrays and MRI's (nothing), the Podiatrist (asking about orthotics - so far have tried every over the counter known to man) have tried many different shoes, I have iced, I have used Sport Cream or BioFreeze immediately after running, all to the same end result. If I run, my shins hurt, period. If I run a lot, they hurt a lot and for longer periods, so I run just a little and the pain is manageable, and I can keep doing it. I will NOT stop running, so I have just learned to live with it, and as I said earlier, I redirected my goals from running long distances to triathlon at the shorter distances. I'd like to hear more about this Trigger Point massage ball - I have been on the website, and am willing to spend the money, but would like to hear it from someone who has been helped. I've tried everything else, and I'm not giving up! Thanks!

Tania,  I just left you a pm regarding your shin splints. I will provide you with any info you need, just pm me with your e-mail address. In a nutshell, thousands of people have found relief from common overuse injuries after using this product. Check out these attachments. 

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testamonials.htm (2KB - 98 downloads)
runners must read.htm (11KB - 58 downloads)
Company TPTech!.htm (8KB - 73 downloads)

Hey everybody. Thanks for all of the advice. Abount a month later and wiht new shoes i am back to running a bit on the treadmill. I am still on the couch to 5k program. I am current ly running for a total of 6 minutes during a total time of 30 minutes on the treadmill. I run at a pace between 6.3 - 6.5 mph on a 2.0% grade. I have used some of the concepts discussed in chi running (i.e. faster turnover, relaxing my legs, light foot strike). Between the new shoes and modified running form, the pain is reduced, but still present. I am not sure if this is something that I will just have to get used to or if there is a way of running pain free. I am going to keep trying to conquer this though.

I don't want to bust your stones but, are you a masochist?  You can change your shoes, change your running program, and probably even stop running altogether before your shin splints go away.  Is this really what you want to do?  Right now all you are doing is treating the symptoms.  Your problem will not go away until you treat the problem.  Check out this website-www.tpmassageball.com.  You can see for yourself.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me [email protected]!

Bryan

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runners must read.htm (11KB - 57 downloads)
shin splints explanation.htm (8KB - 87 downloads)

I have ordered the TP massage ball and footroller and I am going to try them out to see if they help my progress. Also, thanks for the advice and the reading material. I will keep you posted. BTW...I am a little stubborn, so a little stone busting is sometimes necessary.

Be really interested to hear of your results. Please post your comments!!

I placed my order for these products last week as well - I'd like to keep you posted too!

I would like to know if you have positive results also.  Feel free to emial me if you have any questions about the products, because I love the products so much, that I became a rep for the company.  I will be glad to help any one!

Bryan,     email: [email protected]

"TP massage products are designed to treat the problem, not just the symptoms."

Edited by TRIBMAC 2005-03-29 8:28 PM

I used the Trigger Point foot roller on my calves (soleus) Monday night and then ran Tuesday after I lifted. I didn't feel a thing in my shins and running felt really good. I felt a twinge or two at the beginning of my run at the front of my shin, but that went away after the first couple of minutes. I tried using the footroller again last night, but my calves (soleus) were pretty tender from the night before, so I tried to focus more on the gastrocnemius. I ran again today and still felt pretty good except I had an ache in the side of my shins that I have been getting since I started running again. The ache was not painful at all and it did not impede my stride or the speed that I was attempting to run. This may be an overuse thing because I ran for a lot longer and faster today than I have over the last three months. I am going to rest my legs tomorrow to see if that helps. FYI- all of this running is on a treadmill at a 2% grade and speed ranging from 4.5 mph to 7 mph for a maximum total of about 20 minutes of running.

TRIBMAC - I PM'd most this same post to you earlier

As a lifelong shin splint sufferer, this turns out NOT to be true for me. When my foot is in a neutral position or toes pointed down, if I palpate the sore area there will be discomfort. However, if I flex my foot upward and press the sore area, it does not hurt. Since running on an incline puts my foot in the flexed postion, I end up having less pain when I run. I may be the only person who actually LIKES running up hills!

I received my TP massage ball, Footballer and Baller Block a couple days ago and so far have used them once, right before a run. So far so good - it was a 2.5 mile run on the treadmill, there was very mild discomfort in my left leg only. Afterwards I did a really good stretching routine, and today my legs feel good. I am going to use these products diligently and give a full report in 30 days.
Also wanted to mention that I came up with a really good use for the Baller Block, particularly for the ladies (don't even start). I took it to work with me, and I put it between my legs (I said don't start!) , to prevent me from crossing my legs. I don't know if everyone realizes what a really BAD thing it is to sit with your legs crossed - PARTICULARLY if you always cross the same leg. And I am a terrible offender of this, it has gotten to be totally unconscious on my part. Well now I have the remedy, so hopefully I can undo some of the damage this habit has caused or at least not make it any worse!

Glad to hear the products are working so far.  I use mine before and after every time I run or bike.  I left you a pm!
 Bryan