Shin splits or stress fracture from track?
(5 discussions)
I am a junior in high school and I triple jump, long jump and throw shot put. My main event is triple jump and lately I have had major pain in the leg I take off of. I have had shin splints before, but this hurts worse than the shin splints I had before…but I don’t know if I’m just being a wimp and just have a shin splint or if I have a stress fracture. It is slightly bruised and hurts even when I’m just sitting.
I don’t want to go to the doctor if I just have a low pain tolerance and only have a shin splint.
I have been iceing it and then putting a heating pad on it and keep switching it.
If anyone has any input, please reply! Thank you!
5 comments
Kama
Thank you for writing back. The tops of my feet hurt sometimes and around the ankle area…is that what you mean? Sometimes it goes into my knee (due to Osgood Schlater’s too). I think the icing and heat has been helping, so I will continue doing that. I only have (hopefully) 3 track meets and then I can rest and let it heal. Thanks again!
ATsoccergirl
In most of the cases I have seen in which the athlete had shin splints which were later diagnosed as a stress fracture, they had pain all the time.
I would go along with the previous post and suggest getting your feet and gait evaluated before beginning any more serious running. I have successfully treated people using orthotics. I would not suggest taping your shins. This can cause further, more serious problems, and it’s really doesn’t help much any way.
coolesportsclinic
Hi Kama,
Check your feet – for bad archs, this is the most common cause of shin splints (if its shin splints you have).Rest is the only real cure for shin splints. You can tape you shins but its still only treating the result of your problem and not addressing the cause.
Shoes are then the next thing you should check out- visit a podiatrist and have them check your feet out. Ive treated at least 4 or 5 people with shin splints and in all cases the feet or the shoes were the problem.
Kama
Thank you. I read somewhere that stress fractures aren’t supposed to hurt when you are just sitting, and mine does, so maybe it’s just a shin splint??
ATsoccergirl
Since you don’t have much of the season left, you could continue to treating it symptomatically as you are now. But once the season is over, you should go see a doctor for x-rays and possibly a bone scan in order to rule out a stress fracture. I would also suggest keeping your lower leg well stretched out, and warm up well before any events.