Pain in shin
(3 discussions)
it hurts all over my shin, not loads, but just enough to cause discomfort, and a bit of a limp! Do you think i should get it checked out now, or wait see if it goes away, cos I might seem a bit silly if its nothing, just brusing. But if its serious, like shin splints, I dont want to make it any worse, cos my friend was out for three seasons after letting them go for too long.Any adice would be great, thanks!
p.s. if it makes a difference Im a middle distance runner, that does sprint trainin in winter to improve strength!
3 comments
Trigirl
The quicker you get it treated, the quicker it will go away! You’ll just be sidelined for a few weeks in running. Do you swim? That’s a great alternative to keep up your cardiovascular fitness without stressing your shins. Good luck!
Runner_Amy
Thanks, now youve told me that, i wll go to a person!I cant pinpoint a particular spot, and i really hope its not shin splints, cause that could pout me back weeks!Arh!
Thanks!
Trigirl
Definitely get it checked out. If you cannot remember a specific trauma to cause a bruise, then it’s probably more than a bruise. If this pain has been around for awhile, that means something is not right. If you can pinpoint the pain or origin of the pain to one direct spot, it may be a stress fracture. If the pain is general and not specific to one spot, it may be medial tibial stress syndrome or “shinsplints”. What to do in either case: stop running. Go to a qualified sports medicine doctor, explain your symptoms. In the meantime, REST, ice about 10 mintues, several times a day. When the pain goes down, engage in some simple strength training exercises for your shin. When the pain has completely disappeared, EASE back into running.
Be sure to treat the cause and not just the problem. Think about possible errors in your training prior to this that may have brought this on. My guess is that the winter sprint training had something to do with it. Did you do too much too fast? Are you incorporating rest days or alternating hard/easy days? Are you cross training? Shinsplints are somewhat caused by overuse or the repetitive stress of running without adequate rest. If your season is in the late spring or summer, try to spend the winter building a bigger and strong base by running long, slow miles. This will build up your strength. Sprinting is great to help you reach that upper end of fast running, but the cost of that is it can quickly break you down. It builds speed, but not necessarily strength. So, use it sparingly. Hope that helps! I got through shinsplints last year and finally listened to my body and was back to being pain-free in a few weeks. Take care!