- Ah, sore shins are the most frustrating pain.
But what are shin splints?
And how do you know if you've got them?
And more importantly, how do you fix them?
Well, here are eight points on how to get rid
of your shin splints and stop them coming back.
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Shin splints are a pretty common running injury,
and frustratingly, one that I experienced a lot
throughout my career.
Normally you find them
on the inside front part of your shin
and they're a result of overloading
of the muscles and the bones.
And they lead to inflammation and micro-tears in that area.
Shin pain down the front fleshy part of your shin,
down here is actually less common.
It's only seen in about 10% of cases.
But it's a sign of exertional compartment syndrome.
And this can actually worsen under load or during exercise.
But if you do have pain in a really small specific area,
that it hurts to touch and only in that place,
especially down the front bony part of your shin,
then it could be a sign of a stress fracture.
So go and see a professional as soon as you can.
Obviously, no one wants them,
but if you do have sore shins,
then you need to know how to effectively heal them
and stop them reoccurring.
So first on the list, and probably one
that you won't want to hear is rest.
Your bone and surrounding area needs time
to heal and recover.
So if that means reducing your running
or maybe even having no running,
it will reduce the symptoms
and help with the healing process.
An ice pack, or in this case, a packet of frozen peas
can help speed up the relief as it encourages reduction
of the inflammation between your muscles and your bones.
So just place it on the area that's sore.
And anti-inflammatories can also do a similar job.
Compression socks will also help
with inflammation and muscle recovery,
post-run session, by increasing the blood flow.
And wearing socks during your run, as well,
can reduce the microtrauma of the muscles and the fascia.
Just make sure that you've got a pair
that fit correctly for their purpose.
And don't forget to stretch out those tight muscles.
Check your shoes.
Make sure that they've got enough cushioning
and that they're not worn out.
And also that they're providing the right type of support
for your foot and running gate.
Correcting a collapsing arch
can make a positive difference straightaway
whether that's just from getting new orthotics
or changing your running shoes.
If, however, you want a more detailed approach,
then I would recommend going to see a podiatrist
and you can have orthotics specifically made
for your own needs.
Just make sure if you are using them,
that you put them in a neutral running shoe.
Work on engaging and strengthening your glutes
because this will have a knock-on effect
on your foot control and the position
which your foot makes contact with the ground.
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Tight muscles and fascia contribute
to pretty much all shin pain.
So doing regular foam rolling will make a difference.
For example, if you've got a really tight calf muscle
that means that the muscles on the front of your leg
are gonna have to work harder to lift your foot.
So whenever you're doing any self-massage,
make sure you work the front
and the back of your lower leg.
And also, if you've got tight fascia in your feet,
you can experiment by relieving that using a golf ball
and rolling your foot around on top of it.
Finally, make any changes gradually,
whether that's changing your running shoe,
running on different terrain,
or upping your weekly volume.
Your body and legs need time to adapt.
In my mind, shin splints are one
of the most frustrating injuries,
as there's no hard and fast rule
as to what will work for you
or how long the recovery will take.
So with that in mind, I can't emphasise enough
that prevention is better than cure.
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And if you want some more tips
on how to use a foam roller,
then watch this video down here.
And if you want to know how to run like a pro,
then watch this video here.