Question:
i do not have any blood supply problem or venous problem. this pain is not there on swimming or cycling but i cannot run or walk more than 5 minutes due to this pain. it subsides with rest. i wear Reebok premier series shoes. but to no effect. what should i do?
Answer/s:
How long have you been involved in running? Assuming from your opening statements that you have been to a doctor, have you been evaluated for compartment syndrome or stress fractures? Unless your feet have been evaluated by a specialty footwear store, you may still be wearing the wrong shoes for your feet, even if they are “good” running shoes. These stores will look at your stance (usually both weight-bearing and non-), gait, and arches among other things. These services are usually free (at least where I got my shoes). They should be able to offer you a few pairs of shoes to try on for comfort. Do your legs hurt during normal activity? You may find some relief using orthotics in your footwear. The best thing to do after this is to take a break. Swim and biking, as long as they do not aggravate your shins. Try two weeks, but if your condition is bad, I have kept athletes out for over a month. These activities will give your shins some rest to begin healing, but allow you to maintain some level of fitness. After the initial 2 weeks, try a short walk (10 min or less). See how your legs feel. If they begin to hurt at any point, STOP, go home and ice for about 15 min. Take another week of just swimming and biking. Continue this regimen until you are able to take a 10 min walk with no pain. If they feel good, call it quits, go home and wrap some ice on them anyway. In two days, try it again. Still no pain? In two days try 15-20 min. Again, if any pain, Stop and go back to the previous step. The idea is to gradually work yourself back into activity. From walking, then go into some walking/some jogging. Next, progress to some jogging/some running. If the problem has been plaguing you for some time, it may take a while to resolve. Also, make sure you stretch your calves properly. The following excerpt is from WebMD and describes it well. Treatment for shin splints includes rest, massage, ice, stretching, and strengthening. Rest and ice is sometimes the best treatment. You should also be stretching your calves and Achilles tendon real well. If you have the problem during running or walking, try warming up more and don’t increase the speed too quickly. You can also try varying the speed and elevation of the treadmill if you use one instead of keeping it the same. To stretch your calves: 1. Lean against a wall with one leg forward and the knee bent. 2. Keep the rear leg straight, heel on the floor. 3. Keep your back straight and lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your calf. If you don’t feel it too much, put your toe of the rear leg up on a tree limb, or a dumbbell, or any other small object, so that you bend the ankle more. Your heel always remains on the floor. That will increase the stretch. 4. To stretch the soleus muscle and Achilles (very important for shin splints), do the same calf stretch but bend the back knee slightly and you will feel the pull on your Achilles tendon.
First of all, if you happen to be overwieght, work on that by swimming and/or cycling more. If not, then try to rest for a week or two before running or walking more. If neither of those are the case or work talk to a doctor about more options.
See a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon. They will be able to assess what’s really going on. You might need to get orthotics which you can use in all of your shoes. They are made for your personally which can help you more than just a new pair of shoes or more supportive shoes could.
see a doctor. ice and heat should help some, possibly some streches but dont over do.
Wow, i have the same problem. I have really bad shin splints, they are like agonizing. What i do is the morning of a meet i take one advil, then in 9th period i take another advil. (Im a freshman in high school by the way) Also, ICE them. Heating them may feel good, but they wont help you in the long run at all, so don’t even bother. also, take really cold water and pour it in a dixie cup. put it in the freezer for overnight, and then the next morning run the ice(while its still in the dixie cup) up your shins. it feels SO good. I hope that helps 