Shin Splints/Achilles Problem

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Slatteryexpress

Rookie
Jan 10, 2008
34
0
Wiradjiru country
AFL Club
Essendon
Hey,
Been doing a fair bit for preseason, in the last few weeks I'm getting soreness in up my Achilles and shins. I've got a pair of asics runners, and I'm looking to upgrade them to see if this will make any difference. I had this problem too, during last season. My calf muscles would tighten up and I'd find it very difficult to run. Would the answer be to get a better pair of runners/ footy boots and put my orthotics in them? I've been doing a fair bit of cross training and running on grass surfaces where possible, to try and manage it, but I'm looking for a solution now as more and more ball work is introduced.

Thanks for your help.
 
Your probably just overtraining a bit. I get shin splints when i do too much plyometrics. Maybe just cut back for a few days and see how you feel. MAke sure your always stretching before and after - that should eliminate some of the calf tightness. If its something bigger id recommend going to a physio...
 

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Slatteryexpress said:
Hey,
Been doing a fair bit for preseason, in the last few weeks I'm getting soreness in up my Achilles and shins. I've got a pair of asics runners, and I'm looking to upgrade them to see if this will make any difference. I had this problem too, during last season. My calf muscles would tighten up and I'd find it very difficult to run. Would the answer be to get a better pair of runners/ footy boots and put my orthotics in them? I've been doing a fair bit of cross training and running on grass surfaces where possible, to try and manage it, but I'm looking for a solution now as more and more ball work is introduced.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
I had shin splints last year and was given a pair of orthotics to fix my feet (pronation/supination) which raised the arch of my foot to release some tension on my calf muscles. It has worked a treat and i am now feeling no pain at all. It was also recommended to buy a pair of Asics or any running shoe (asics are the best) that had the grey area on the inside of the shoe which provides more cushion for your arch
 
i get these every season :( there a bitch but this year im gonna get some really comfy football boots and some orthodix. hopefully i wont get them this year. good luck with your training.
 
Try padding up the bottom of your foot. Im talking about the arc between the toes and the ball of your foot. You can use cotton balls or anything else thats soft.

This helped me last year for a reason im not sure of, if i get similiar symptoms this year when we resume pre-season, then ill be doing the same thing. :thumbsu:
 
Taping the sole of your foot before training or a game helps massively with this kind of injury. Talk to your club trainer and/or a physio.

I used to get plantar fasciitis (mega painful soles, just in front of the heel) until I started taping. Some games I'd hobble off at the end, unable to walk properly, and it was worse the next morning. No problems at all since.
 
is there anywhere that shows us how to tape up your foot?
should you tape the ankle aswell?
 
Give the achilles a bit of rest and then start doing some eccentric strengthening like below.

http://www.carletonsportsmed.com/ankle_achilles_exercise.JPG

http://www.karateathlete.com/images/AchillesRafa2Pic.jpg

You only want to do the eccentric phase which is the lengthening stage.

Start at about 2 sets of 10 and build it up.

The best method is to focus on the sore achilles. Start with both feet on the board, then take 1 leg off, place it behind the bad one, and lower the leg, basically stretching it out.

Then once the rep is done, put both feet back on the board and raise up ready to do the next rep.

Do this for a few weeks and start some running and it should really loosen up.

Get it early because you don't want to go under the knife with an achilles, trust me, it takes about a year to get back to A1.

Also give it a light rub every 3-4 days, and give it a light stretch 2-3 times per day. Work into the calf and do some calf stretches to. Achilles problems generally come from tight calfs.

http://www.lollylegs.com/images/achilles2.jpg

Make sure the effected achilles is the foot in front. Do not over stretch.

With the splints, get a foam cup, fill it with water and freeze it.

Use the cold foam cup to rub along the shin once every 2-3 days. It hurts and it's cold, but you can get good results.
 
i'd go to a sports podiatrist, if youre in melbourne-theres alphington sports clinic. You could also go to a physio but they might just refer you to a podiatrist to get some orthotics.
The bloke who mentioned eccentric calf exercises for the achilles (tendinopathy) is absolutely right. Get onto something like that.
 
rfctigerarmy said:
I had the same thing: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=529343

What you've got to do is just ease up on the training. I've taken up cycling (like it was suggested) and doing running every couple of days now.
Click to expand...


yeah absolutely. ease up and cross train. making sure your footwear is in good condition is essential. that you are trying to hit the grassed areas is good, but even they are quite hard after our few years with decreased rainfall. i used to get them in the army a few lifetimes ago, and resting is obviously the best solution, but thats hard to do once football rolls around again ...
 

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I bought orthotics over the off season and have recently started to run again but im getting shin splints again now looking to get these adjusted and doing a heap of bike riding by the looks of it
 
Slatteryexpress said:
Hey,
Been doing a fair bit for preseason, in the last few weeks I'm getting soreness in up my Achilles and shins. I've got a pair of asics runners, and I'm looking to upgrade them to see if this will make any difference. I had this problem too, during last season. My calf muscles would tighten up and I'd find it very difficult to run. Would the answer be to get a better pair of runners/ footy boots and put my orthotics in them? I've been doing a fair bit of cross training and running on grass surfaces where possible, to try and manage it, but I'm looking for a solution now as more and more ball work is introduced.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

If you read this article and follow the exercise instructions you will never have shin splints again, trust me.

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/0161-shin-splints-treatment.htm
 
Have had shin splints and ankle/knee soreness over career and have found there is 2-3 things which are extremely beneficial,
- keep wearing runners till a week or 2 before season starts, wear boots at praccy matches but train in runners,
- don't buy boots which lace up on the side
- if deciding before a game to go with the longer or shorter stops/ blades, start with the shorter one even if it means changing at quarter time to the longer option.
- spend the extra 50-60 bucks if needed on a good pair of boots, and be wary that some boots just don't suit some people and the ones that feel good in the shop don't always perform that well on the ground. Yet others feel ordinary in the shop may excell during exercise.
- Asic make a really good footy boot, although personally think there runners have dropped off over the last couple of seasons and have heard of alot higher incidence of people, using the more recent asic runners, getting shin splints.
 
Shin splints: As i have said on one of monkeyshine's thread, stretching your calves/achilles with your ankle rolled inwards (on a rolled towel for example) will target tibialis posterior, the muscle most commonly implicated in medial shin pain.

taping the arch of the foot will help

orthotics cured mine (try "off the shelf" ones before shelling out for custom made)

the strengtheing exercises in the sports injury bulletin link from an earlier post looks gold

for achilles pain, the eccentric exercise program also mentioned earlier is a must. Orthotics can help too.

RR
 
Slatteryexpress said:
boots and put my orthotics in them?
Click to expand...

Yeah this is where you've gone wrong, asics are a great for running or athletics heaps of amateur athletes use them. The problem is you have to use the orthotics while you do the exercise. When i had this same problem the solution was to get a thinner orthotic so it doesnt put as much stress on the legs.
 
what part of your shins are sore? the inside or the front edge?

the achilles and the ball of the foot are closely connected. if your footy boots are too tight you may be cramping up your foot and causing soreness in achilles and shin as a result. I have a similar problem with my sprinting spikes, only fortunately I only ever have to wear them for a few minutes at a time. if you think this may be part of the problem I might suggest experimenting with lacing your boots in different ways. it certainly helped me.

for the shins there are a couple of things you could try. one is massage. buy yourself a can of spray on olive oil and set to them for 15min per shin every night before bed (learn how to do it properly though, or you'll just make it worse). also massage the arch of your foot and try standing on a tennis ball, or something.

another thing that I found helpful was using sports tape to support the area and reduce the pulling on the inflamed tendon/muscle. how you do this will depend on where your soreness is, though. and you will probably want to shave your legs first. :p

one other thing, depending on your age I would be wary of resorting to expensive orthotics or fancy shoes. if you change things too much at ground level it can cause worse problems higher up.

good luck with it...
 
can someone tell me sort of strapping would be ideal for prevention of shin splints
i already have them but anything that can help them from getting worse.
would it make a difference if i just taped about 10cms around the main soreness around my shin/calf ?
thanks guys.
 
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