Shin Splits!!!!!!

[Tarheel]

I'm a college student, and I used to get shin splints if if walked across campus too fast (big campus, brick sidewalks, etc).

Now it seems that every week they're getting worse and worse, to the point were I can't get halfway across campus without them getting to the point where it slows my pace.

Should I try different shoes? Are there any freeweight exercises that would help prevent shin splints?

I've never had this problem before.

 

[DrBones]

Go get your feet checked out and get a pair of inserts specially made for your feet... I used to have the same problem, but since getting inserts my shin splints havnt caused me any grief
Thanks
Ryan

 

[t3c]

same here dude...i was wondering about them too

bump for this guy

 

[t3c]

i never had them...but the arch of my foot always hurt...so i got inserts for it

now i have them...could the inserts be the cause?

 

[skaman607]

you need to strengthen your shin muscles, by either doung toe raises, or doing heel walks.

 

[The Dude]

Toes raises may help as stated above. Superset them with calf raises. You can do them with your heel on a block and do lots of reps or sit down with you legs extended with a dumbbell between your feet. With weight I do moderate reps (i.e. 10-20...moderate for this exercise). When I started supersetting them with my first calf exercise (I do them first), my calves got a lot stronger fast. More blood to the area, coincidence, whatever...I believe in them now.

 

[endpoint]

the problems ive had in the past (different times)

bad shoes,

tight muscles in the whole lower body

and shitty walking technique,

 

[skaman607]

i never knew that there was such thing as shitty walking technique

 

[endpoint]

what is a shin muscle?

 

[coolcolj]

The pain you get is due to strain on the Tib muscle. One way to fix is to rest, let it heal and then strnegthen the muscle. But any msucle will get sore if it gets too much stress.

 

[dude]

Excellent post by CoolColJ. He is exactly right because shin splints is the tibialis anterior muscle pulling away at it's point of attachment on the periosteum, outer covering, of the tibia bone. Reiterating, you need to rest the muscle and use some ice to reduce the inflammation and pain. Then slowly work at strenghthening the muscle. I use to use packs of cold flower because they would get every area of the muscle whereas a bag of ice is not nice and smooth. The best way would be to take an ice cube and rub it all along the muscle to make sure you treat the full length of it.

 

[skaman607]

wow, are you a doctor?

 

[dude]

No, I am a working on my Physical Therapy degree.