Heather: Pain at the front of your shins? If so, I'm afraid it is likely to be shin
splints. This is a really common injury amongst runners, especially those new to the sport
or if you suddenly increased your mileage. It's obviously very frustrating, you want
to get back to running pain-free as soon as possible. You're not going to like to hear
it but rest does help although I'm delighted to say there's actually a lot more you can
do to speed up the recovery. [music]
Before we look at the treatment of shin splints, I just want to quickly explain what they are.
90% of shin pain is medial tibial stress syndrome, which is pain or discomfort when you touch
that lower inside third of your shin. The remaining 10% comprises of exertional compartment
syndrome which is pain whilst exercising the muscular part of the shin. It's more to the
outside, that's the soft tissue area. Also within that 10% is distinct pain in the
front spine of the shin, that really bony point, if you've got a really distinctive
point on that, I'd go and see a professional because it is a sign of a potential stress
fracture. However, with the majority of shin pain coming on to that medial tibial stress
syndrome, that is the area that we're going to be focusing on today.
Shin splints are repetitive strain style of injury. If you think of every stride you're
doing, it's putting your body under strain. The tibia bone, which is the larger of the
two bones in your lower leg will actually bend ever so slightly on each foot strike.
That's taking stress in itself. Then add to that the fact that the muscles around it are
contracting and relaxing every stride and they're attached via their fascia into the
bone's outer lining, it'd be gently pulling on it each time.
All of this combined will basically result in inflammation around the area which then
leads to pain and discomfort that you feel. You'll feel it either during running and/or
after, and also on touch for that area. A repetitive stress style of injury is unsurprisingly
a result of repeatedly doing these same actions before your body has adapted and is strong
enough to resist those forces. The good news being when it comes to running, if you build
back up slowly and follow these steps that I've got for you, you can get back to running
injury-free. I know no athlete likes to hear this one but
it is an injury and therefore your body is going to need some time to recover in order
to be able to repair. Unless it is a bone stress reaction or a stress fracture, then
you don't actually have to rest entirely. There are lots of other options you can do.
Resting means resting from running in this situation and you can cross-train, you can
cycle, swim, go on the elliptical trainer and even lift in the gym as long as none of
this actually causes you any pain or makes your injury worse, then it's just going to
help with overall strengthening and keeping you sane and fit.
You can speed up the reduction of that inflammation and the removal of some of it as well with
ice. It's a tried and tested method. Just make sure you always have a damp cloth between
your skin and the ice itself. Then some gentle massage can help with removal of that and
later on, it can help with promoting the healing process.
The treatment of shin splits however is more about the prevention of them returning after
your body has worked its magic and repaired thanks to rest. Let's have a look at the aspects
you can address to ensure they don't return. Head to the gym and work on strengthening
your core and your legs. An athlete with efficiently firing muscles is going to have a more efficient
gait, and therefore be less likely to get injured. Some great exercises are those compound
movements such as squats or box jumps that will cross over nicely to helping your running.
If you want to focus specifically on strengthening the lower leg of the area that you've actually
experienced the pain, then you can look at working on some movements around the foot
using a physio band. Moving your foot in different directions to strengthen those small muscles
that support this area. Check your shoes. It should be one of the
first things that you do if you get a new injury or a niggle. If you're not sure about
the wear of your shoes and how to know, well, check out our video on where to replace your
running shoes. Basically, once the midsole starts to lose its cushioning, it's going
to be putting added stress and strain on your feet and lower limbs.
Then look further up the chain, what's going on with your hips, have you got weak glutes,
are your hips actually dropping on each stride, or maybe you're finding your knees are dropping
in which is then going to put more force on your feet. Obviously think about running tall
and having good form but also doing that work in the gym that we've already mentioned will
help with the firing of those glutes. Once you are pain-free, it doesn't mean you
can automatically return to the intensity and the mileage that you were at beforehand.
You need to build it up gradually as increasing your running too quickly could well have been
one of the problems you had in the first place. Go by the 10% rule, it's always a good guide.
Not increasing the amount of running you're doing by more than 10% each week and keep
an eye on your shins as well. If you do start to feel any pain or discomfort whilst running,
then back off. Also just keep an eye on how they feel to
touch because early warning signs are there to be listened to. It's not the type of injury
that you can just ignore. I'm afraid it won't magically go away.
As an athlete, I had recurring shin splints and shin pain, I understand your frustration.
I got to the stage where I was just tempted to run through the pain because it seemed
like nothing was going to solve it but it turned out, it was a matter of time and building
up that strength. Stick with it, you will get there. Hopefully, you don't have shin
splints at the moment but if you've enjoyed this video, give us a like if you have. Remember
to check our social media channels and you can give those a follow too.
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