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Click to view Niki333's profile Rookie
Niki333
4 posts since
Dec 15, 2007

Nov 2, 2007 8:42 AM

Posterior shin splints! Ouch!

Hi Everyone. I'm new on this board. My name is Nicole and I've been running off and on throughout my lifetime (I'm 35 now). This past May I developed painful posterior shin splints and arch problems on my left leg. I was only ever a 10 Km (max)runner up until this point and ran regularly about 8 Km a few times a week. I went to physio and had arch supports made for me. I stopped running for 3 months and the pain went away.
Then, this past Sept/Oct I decided to train for a half marathon. Here's how it went. After my summer off to recover from the arch/shin issues, I slowly increased my distance to the 8 Km I used to run. After that, I decided I would try to run up to 21 Km in time for the 1/2 mar. in 5 weeks . It was painful at times (hip/ knees) but I did it with no hint of arch or shin pain. I completed the half marathon (my first race!) and felt fine. I was no speed demon but that's something to work on for next year!
At any rate, what I'm boggled about is why now, 1 month after the 1/2 mar, I would be developing problems with my shin and arch again. I've decreased my distance to a couple of shorter runs a week (10K) and a longer on the weekend 14-16KM and I always have my arch supports in my sneakers. I am looking for advice on how to get some good stretches for the shin(posterior). I've looked online and can't seem to find any really good exercises to stretch that area. Also, any advice or tips on how to prevent this from happening again. I feel deflated now. I know I have to take time off from running again after working so hard to get to where I am now ;-( . I have hopes of either doing the half again next year and to do it in much better time or to run a full marathon.
Any thoughts, suggestions, archives that might address this problem. I'm sure it's been talked about many time!

Thanks,

Nicole
Click to view AKTrail's profile Legend
AKTrail
360 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
1. Nov 2, 2007 11:10 PM in response to: Niki333
Did your phsyio identify a cause of your original problem and provide strengthening exercises for it? Sometimes arch supports alone aren't enough, and the underlying biomechanics needs to be adjusted. (Your physio is the one who can tell you this, not online groups who have never seen you run or walk.)

Did you actually increase from long run distance of 8 km to 21 km in 5 wks? (not sure I understood the statements correctly) If so, that was probably too rapid an increase and why you had hip/knee pain. Sometimes pain moves around. You may have been doing something to avoid arch/shin issues and created the other.
You might google for "posterior shin splints". This is one article that popped up.
http://www.myfootshop.com/detail.asp?Condition=Shin%20Splints[/URL" target="_blank">

Do you heel strike? or do you land more toward the mid- to fore-foot area? After you strengthen your feet / ankles, you may find that landing farther forward reduces tendency toward injuries.

The reason I'm suggesting strengthening, esp. multi-directional, is that your symptoms are different from some problems I had, but not that different, and the approaches that helped me (functional strengthening) may also help you. BUT my problems were diagnosed by my PT, and he gave me certain exercises to work with. They may or may not be the most appropriate exercises for you.

The exercises my PT gave me are somewhat like these
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0125.htm[/URL" target="_blank">
in terms of emphasizing the diagonal motions and needing to strengthen the small muscles. I also did single-leg balance squats and lunges - both done in multiple directions.

FWIW, I've worked several years on strengthening (and continuing to work on it) and find I have the best results to strengthen first, then increase volume / long runs. Otherwise, my running gets ahead of my strengthening, and I can feel repeats of history coming on. As older person, healing takes entirely too long, so I just try to stay on safe side of injury line.

Good luck.
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Click to view Abadabajev's profile Legend
Abadabajev
231 posts since
Oct 4, 1999
2. Nov 3, 2007 7:36 AM in response to: Niki333
quote:<HR>Originally posted by Niki333:
I was only ever a 10 Km (max)runner up until this point and ran regularly about 8 Km a few times a week. I stopped running for 3 months and the pain went away.
Then, this past Sept/Oct I decided to train for a half marathon. After my summer off to recover from the arch/shin issues, I slowly increased my distance to the 8 Km I used to run. After that, I decided I would try to run up to 21 Km in time for the 1/2 mar. in 5 weeks . It was painful at times (hip/ knees) <HR>


Niki Niki Niki,

You took the summer off then tried to ramp up your mileage from short runs of 8k to 21k. in 5 frigging weeks?

You only have yourself to blame for this.

I always laugh when I read the following;

You develop shin splints and right away, you go see the physio to get arch supports made.

What a grave mistake you just made there Niki. The only remedy for shin splints is time off and ice til your blue in the face.

If you cannot stop running, then the remedy I found that works is barefoot running on a treadmill at 4.2 mph for several weeks. At first, you can only run a few minutes barefoot then you must go back to your shoe to continue your treadmill session.
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Click to view Jeep725's profile Pro
Jeep725
133 posts since
Aug 5, 2005
3. Nov 3, 2007 7:57 AM in response to: Niki333
Here is a good reference website, there is a link to rehab exercises at the top:

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_shinpain_sma.htm[/URL" target="_blank">

Good luck to you!

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Click to view Niki333's profile Rookie
Niki333
4 posts since
Dec 15, 2007
4. Nov 5, 2007 11:04 AM in response to: Niki333
Thanks for your thoughts/advice. I know I was foolish in deciding to run the HM but I'm very determined and stubborn when I get something in my head. I was fully prepared to stop training if I even felt a twinge of pain in my arch/shin. As far as the hip and knees go, I knew they were sore because I was doing too much too soon but knees and hips are fine now. Stupid, I know, but it's over now and I'm still glad I did it. It was quite a rush crossing the finish line!
At any rate the arch/shin issue is happening a good month after the race. I've decreased my distance and was just running for the exercise and enjoyment without pushing distance and speed. This is why I'm confused that it's happening now. I went to the physiotherapist the first time around because my arch and subsequent shin pain was not going away with ice and time off. She wasn't sure exactly what was wrong (sneakers were good, pronation was fine, feet are not flat etc.) and the therapy wasn't helping much which is why I opted to see a pediatrist for orthotics . Taping my arch seemed to help the best so that 's what I'm doing while at work and my physio stretches in the evening. I figure I will go back for physio again if taping and exercises don't help. No running at all right now and it's killing me :-(. I was just looking to see if anyone here had any other thoughts or suggestions as physio didn't really take care of the problem the first time around.
Nicole
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