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Shin Splints

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Lionfan17

Club Legend
Veteran
Aug 3, 2008
2,390
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AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Hey guys

For about a 2 months now I've had Shin Splints. For all of you who dont know what that is visit this site

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/lowerleg/shinsplints.htm

I play Basketball and Footy, and this is preventing me from doing my best at the moment. I ice my legs everyday and do some stretches but it doesnt seem to be doing the job. Should I consult a doctor or just suck it up and keep playing?
 
We had a thread on this recently, so do a search and have a look at that. Says what sort of stretches to do, etc. Best thing I found for shin splints was those stretches, new shoes and rest.
 
my friend who plays hockey might have these
can anyone here confirm this
symptoms
are sore shins
not able to run

she can run fine but only when wearing shin pads
 

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Rest is the key guys at least 2 - 3 weeks of doing nothing. Tight calves also contribute to the pain get a deep tissue massage in that area, perhaps once a week for 2 - 3 weeks. stretch your calves out and there are a variety of exersices to be done which can be found on the internet.

When i had shin splints the symptoms were stabing pain of the shins like knives were poking me as i walked.

Getting a pair of shock absorbing shoe soles helps as it reduces the shock of impact as well as new shoes if you can
 
So you are playing and training for 2 sports (footy and basketball) ATM?

If it's a recurring case - orthotics, pain relief meds, new shoes etc. will only reduce symptoms in the short term but not correct the problem in my experience and only focusing on the muscles in the lower leg is only addessing part of the issue.

If it is a recurring case (in my case a result of previously having pancake flat feet) and you want to get over them for good you'll need to first rest up and reduce/eliminate the pain (RICE plus rest for a few weeks) and then do rehab which includes:

- stretching for the the hip flexors, quads, groin and calves (add all to warm up and cool down)
- improving hip and ankle mobility (add all to warm up)
- activating the glute maximus and medius (add to warm up)
- soft tissue work (massage/foam rolling) for the quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, ITB (side of quad), groin and calves (add all to cool downs)
- strengthening the hip extensors (glutes, hamstrings and low back)
- improving core stability
- barefoot drills on grass (start off with walking, then progress to warm ups barefoot and you can even progress to running sessions) - if you're worried about going barefoot without protection get a pair of Vibram FiveFingers
- training on grass only to begin with (if your sport requires to work on hard surfaces, progress to doing so gradually) and gradually increasing training volume over time (i.e. don't do too much too soon).
- low impact exercises (cycling, rowing, calisthenics circuits, swimming etc.) are good to maintain fitness levels whilst running volume is low

Probably best to do this during the off-season and ultimately all this is all excellent for overall performance benefits and injury prevention, not just rehab from shin splints.
 
Freeze a plastic cup or disposable cup full of water, take the ice out of the cup and rub on your shin until ice is worn out, by the time it is finished you shin should be numb. I did this once and i was fine afterwards, but if the pain continues repeat another time.
 
great post by the unit...it's an overuse injury so obvilsuly rest and then gradually building back up is the way to go...also you need to ad in some lunging and get out of that small range of motion we call running which also leads to overuse injuries again
 
Strengthening your shins is another way to fix it,This Website should help. I had Shin Splints a while ago than i started doing a lot calf stretches and Shin Stretches and Strengthening routine.
 
There's some great advice here so I'll just add my experiences.

REST!!! This is the No 1 thing I should have done from the start. I had chronic shin splints on the right and I thought I could just train through it. WRONG! I'd limp when I'd walk and once warmed up with a jog I'd be ok, but cool down for a few minutes I'd limp again. Never having shin splints before I thought the pain would eventually go away but it didn't. I did this for 6 friggin' stupid months. With chronic splints you really do need rest first and then you can process. Spin classes or something low impact is good to keep up the cardio ... just don't do any pounding on the feet.

The most common cause as stated previously in a post is over-use... and for me it was on hard surfaces.

If you don't have proper fitted shoes then go and invest in something good by a professional ... and not just any sport store, I mean someone that knows about feet. Once you rest, get good shoes, then manage yourself. Listen to your body (shins) and do the stretches etc etc. Ice after exercise does wonders.

Good luck.
 
For the love of god don't exercise through them. Get treatment as soon as possible. Shin splints are a very tough thing to diagnose and treat.

I ran through my shin splints and what did I get to show for it? Stress fractures in both my tibias. I'm 21 and have pains in my shins quite often even when sitting down at the moment because my splints developed into fractures.

Worst part, to heal them I need to be on crutches for 2-5 weeks, and if I were to do that, i'd lose my job. So right now i'm between a rock and a hard place...

Splints are caused by the ligaments tugging at your tibia along with vibrations from the calf muscle when your feet impact the ground while running, enough tugging can crack the tibia(which is what has happened in my case). First things first, make sure your calfs are loose, your ankles are flexible and mobile and your feet are not pronated or supinated, most problems start from the feet. See a Podiatrist about some Orthotics especially made for your feet, I wouldn't recommend stinging and getting some of those cheap insoles which 'act' as Orthotics, if you are serious about your sport.

Take it very easy, things can get ugly easily.
 
Not an expert but just personal experience. Started getting them and had to stop training for a few weeks. Friend suggested I look at what shoes I was wearing for training as in runners & footy boots. Went to Athletes Foot and got properly fitted to suit my foot type, running style etc and have never had it happen again. Cost some $$s but was worth it, every cent.
 
You should not be playing through shin splints! It is an overuse injury resulting in inflammation of the periosteum (attaches to tibia). Like most overuse injuries rest and recovery is one of the most important treatments for correcting it. One of the most effective treatments is deep tissue massage of the calf muscles (gastrocs and soleus). The best way to do this is sit on the floor with your legs crossed and rub the medial(inside) side of your calf/tibia.

Im not just making this up, i have a sports science degree, am a level 1 sports trainer and have studied exercise rehabilitation :)
 

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kBuck said:
You should not be playing through shin splints! It is an overuse injury resulting in inflammation of the periosteum (attaches to tibia). Like most overuse injuries rest and recovery is one of the most important treatments for correcting it. One of the most effective treatments is deep tissue massage of the calf muscles (gastrocs and soleus). The best way to do this is sit on the floor with your legs crossed and rub the medial(inside) side of your calf/tibia.

Im not just making this up, i have a sports science degree, am a level 1 sports trainer and have studied exercise rehabilitation :)
Click to expand...

agree with this. the amount of rest you need varies however, depending on what type of shin splints you have. there are 3 broad types, muscular, which result in inflammation of the peri. bony which are basic stress fractures and need bone scans to be diagnosed, and they can also be neural in origin.

the bony stress fractures need a lot more rest than the other 2 so if you think you have them i suggest u get to the gp and get bone scanned to rule out this possability
 
Rest rest rest. Don't listen to any old school coaches who tell you to ice up and train through it. Best to stop, seek treatment and come back slowly. It is in overuse injury - which can either mean too much training or an increase in intensity too quickly. I ignored mine for about three months and got grade 4 stress fractures in both shins. Took me years to truly beat it after that point.
 

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