Any help with shin splints and exam?

[toledos]

Hey guys,

I've been conditioning myself over the past few months, but have really started going at it for the past few weeks. I keep ending my jogs/runs with pain in my right lower leg. I have been warming up, stretching, running, cooling down, then stretching again, but it keeps coming back. Today I took ibuprofen to help with the pain.

I know the best solution possible is to just stay off of it and avoid high-impact for a few weeks; but if I don't keep up the training, I'll be taking a gamble on those exams - especially the one in 2 weeks.

Do you guys have any suggestions as to what I can do to help this problem? New shoes? Inserts? Ice packs? Searching Google gives me helpful answers in the long-term, but not for the short term.

Thanks!

[Monty Ealerman]

Here's a reference: pop-sci level proteolytic enzyme serrapeptase page. If you care to review some more rigorous material please feel free to email me at [email protected]. (Please understand that although I believe I am competent and knowledgeable regarding the associated matters I am not a medical professional.)

[PhilipCal]

The information provided by o.com's answer to Capt America could be valid. Full disclosure would have required him to advise you that although he holds some nebulous "commission" as a Conservator of the Peace, he is un-certified for that position( by his own admission) not having received the required training for the commission he reportedly holds.

[Gradient Shift]

A friend of mine started getting shin splints shortly after she started running and wasn't sure why. It got so bad that for hours afterward all she could do was lay on the floor on the verge of tears. She eventually went to a sports medicine clinic which will do a free evaluation where she was informed she has flat feet/fallen arches and was advised to get stability control shoes. She took some time off with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and a small amount of "Vitamin I" if she didn't want to walk around like an old lady. After buying the same stability control shoes I have from New Balance she has not had any issues since.

Do you have fallen arches, flat feet, or a high arch? Are you 100% certain? You could have slightly wide feet and wearing shoes which do not have that extra bit of room could be disrupting how your feet/legs are moving around; just as tying your laces too tight can cause foot pain. Having proper footwear for your feet is essential. Getting this fixed may drastically improve your situation. Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers will do a free no obligation evaluation if there are any in your area and does a good job. If not, good luck finding someone to go.

[toledos]

A friend of mine started getting shin splints shortly after she started running and wasn't sure why. It got so bad that for hours afterward all she could do was lay on the floor on the verge of tears. She eventually went to a sports medicine clinic which will do a free evaluation where she was informed she has flat feet/fallen arches and was advised to get stability control shoes. She took some time off with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and a small amount of "Vitamin I" if she didn't want to walk around like an old lady. After buying the same stability control shoes I have from New Balance she has not had any issues since.

Do you have fallen arches, flat feet, or a high arch? Are you 100% certain? You could have slightly wide feet and wearing shoes which do not have that extra bit of room could be disrupting how your feet/legs are moving around; just as tying your laces too tight can cause foot pain. Having proper footwear for your feet is essential. Getting this fixed may drastically improve your situation. Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers will do a free no obligation evaluation if there are any in your area and does a good job. If not, good luck finding someone to go.

Thanks for this information. I wish I could just step onto the machine they use for Navy recruits and know for sure! After doing a few tests, I determined that my pronation is neutral, but I MAY have a fallen arch on my right foot (makes sense, since that is always the problem leg). I'm going to a local runner's shop to see what kind of information they can give me and see if they can do a real evaluation. Maybe some stability shoes will help.

[Gradient Shift]

No problem!

There are also a few good pre/post run stretches you can do which will help a lot. I don't know all of their names so I will describe them.

1. calf raises with toes pointed straight, toes pointed in, toes pointed out . repeat 10 to 20 times per foot.
2. stand with one foot just off the floor, point toes straight out infront of you, then raise toes toward you, rotate ankle left, then right. repeat each 10 to 20 times per foot.
3. go into a raised plank with feet wide and butt in the air, heels off the ground, then put all your weight on one foot pushing your heel down, then switch to the other foot.

Any time you are balancing on one foot always, always, always hold on to something. I'm sure you can balance, I know I can, but IF you do tip over and end up pulling a muscle, or worse, you are only handicapping yourself. As you are now aware, you aren't invincible.

[Monty Ealerman]

The information ... could be valid. Full disclosure ... required ...

In this context I believe full disclosure required that I advise that I am not a medical professional. I did that. I think it's not necessary or appropriate to reiterate here our disputations over matters not germane to this thread topic.

[PhilipCal]

In this context I believe full disclosure required that I advise that I am not a medical professional. I did that. I think it's not necessary or appropriate to reiterate here our disputations over matters not germane to this thread topic.

Actually, I should follow the advice of a contributor who wisely suggested we simply ignore you.
You've been thoroughly exposed, debunked, discredited, found out, called out and appropriately dealt with, and the irony is YOU'VE done most of the work.

The simple point is you're NOT a cop, and thus NOT entitled to post in this particular thread. You'd do well to confine your often entertaining, but universally stupid and inane crap to those threads in which non-leo's are permitted to participate.

It's obvious that you're one of those people who thrives on attention. The fact that 99.9% of that attention is unfavorable, detrimental, and unflattering means nothing to you, as long as you're receiving the attention. I'm quite certain health care professionals have a term for your affliction, and possibly a course of treatment. You should consider investigating that.


In the meantime, I believe I'll follow my colleague's wise and valid advice, and simply ignore you. Doing so is in full accordance with very sage advice I once received concerning arguing with idiots.

[Aerohead]

actually, i should follow the advice of a contributor who wisely suggested we simply ignore you.
You've been thoroughly exposed, debunked, discredited, found out, called out and appropriately dealt with, and the irony is you've done most of the work.

The simple point is you're not a cop, and thus not entitled to post in this particular thread. You'd do well to confine your often entertaining, but universally stupid and inane crap to those threads in which non-leo's are permitted to participate.

It's obvious that you're one of those people who thrives on attention. The fact that 99.9% of that attention is unfavorable, detrimental, and unflattering means nothing to you, as long as you're receiving the attention. I'm quite certain health care professionals have a term for your affliction, and possibly a course of treatment. You should consider investigating that.


In the meantime, i believe i'll follow my colleague's wise and valid advice, and simply ignore you. Doing so is in full accordance with very sage advice i once received concerning arguing with idiots.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]11587[/ATTACH]

[AKtransplant]

Though I am not a LEO I am an experienced distance runner so I will add to this thread.

Just to echo what Gradient said, shoe selection is super important. There should be a store that focuses solely on running. It may be far away. It may be expensive. It will likely be run by hippies...I urge you to go to this store, it will behoove you greatly... There they will put you on a treadmill and study the way you run and select a shoe that matches your gate, impact and pronation. A good, solid pair of distance running shoes are upwards of 150 but the relief you will feel to your shins and legs will be pretty noticeable fairly quickly.

Additionally, make sure you are stretching AND doing strengthening exercises all the time to equal out the muscles and ligaments etc. Hydration, protein and electrolyte replenishment is also key in helping your muscles heal properly and effectively. Good luck!

[toledos]

Well I went to my community athletic center and talked to one of the employees there who is in charge of the community running programs. She suggested RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) to avoid injury in the short term, and to start doing toe raises and stretches to build up the muscle to prevent shin splints in the long term. She also suggested that if I need to run in a few weeks, I may want to get new shoes. Just so if anyone searches for this thread they have an answer!

Thanks for the suggestion guys. I really hope it won't be an issue in the coming weeks.

[PD85]

Though I am not a LEO I am an experienced distance runner so I will add to this thread.

Just to echo what Gradient said, shoe selection is super important. There should be a store that focuses solely on running. It may be far away. It may be expensive. It will likely be run by hippies...I urge you to go to this store, it will behoove you greatly... There they will put you on a treadmill and study the way you run and select a shoe that matches your gate, impact and pronation. A good, solid pair of distance running shoes are upwards of 150 but the relief you will feel to your shins and legs will be pretty noticeable fairly quickly.

Additionally, make sure you are stretching AND doing strengthening exercises all the time to equal out the muscles and ligaments etc. Hydration, protein and electrolyte replenishment is also key in helping your muscles heal properly and effectively. Good luck!

I'll add on to what AKtransplant mentioned. Also, I'm not currently a LEO, but have a background in long distance running both as a collegiate athlete and a coach.

Shoes are the number one cause of shin splints in most people. A quality pair of running shoes that work for your particular foot type, body type, and running gait will be the best defense against shin splints. The first thing that you should do is seek out a pair of shoes that work for you. The most expensive shoes are not always the best, but cheap shoes are crap.

You need to go to a dedicated running shoe store to purchase a pair of quality running shoes, with the help of someone working there. A good running shoe store will have runners working that can look at your foot (for your arch type), your gait (for pronation, heel strike, etc.), and your body type (to determine if you can get away with lightweight trainers or normal trainers). Do not go to a Big Box sporting goods store, as most of their shoe help are incompetent. They will recommend the newest Nike trainers that probably won't work for you. With many of my athletes, they've seen a significant decrease in their symptoms within days of purchasing new shoes. Also, adding a quality pair of insoles to your daily work shoes (I like SuperFeet) can help in the day to day mangement.

Will you pay more at a running shoe store? Yes, you will pay more, but you're paying for both the service and the shoes. However, once you find what shoes work for you, you can always purchase online or elsewhere for replacements. I like to buy at my local running shop so I can support a local business, and they usually throw me a discount when I recommend others to them.

As far as exercises to help alleviate the symptoms, some other have given some great advice. Stretching your calves/shins "like a million time a day" will help to speed up the healing process. The mountain-climebr calve/achilles stretch is good, I also like the one where you place one foot about 18" from a wall, with the other 36" from the wall, and lean in toward the wall like you're trying to push it over. You should feel the stretch in the leg closer tot he wall. Try 15 seconds per leg, 10 times, and try to alternate between bending and not bending your back leg.

As far as icing, you can use a bag of ice, frozen peas, etc. to give local treatment. For better relief, fill up some paper Dixie cups with water and freeze them. After a workout, take one out and tear the paper at the top exposing about an inch of ice. Rub the ice with moderate pressure over your entire shin bone and on both sides. The more pressure you use, the more painful it is, but the more you will promote healing but breaking up scar tissue and increasing circulation around the injury.

Good luck, and get some new shoes!

[Yesman]

Work your tibia. Use tubing or a kettlebell. Look up tibia training, John Meadows on t-nation.com.
Also, I just stated using Newton running shoes & they are AMAZING. Go to Newton's website & look at the running form section for proper running form..and you can check out their shoes, too. Make sure you do a proper dynamic warm-up before working out/running, AND stretch afterwards along with ice.