Friday, November 1, 2013

What causes shin splints and what is the best way to treat them? How can I avoid them in the future?

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I have started running again recently and now have shin splints so bad I can hardly walk. I am a 39 year old woman in fairly good physical shape, I work out regularly, not over weight and I have no physical problems short of the shin splints.. I walk on the tread mill and eliptical regularly with out much problem. The problem didn't start until I started running out side. I run on a concrete bridge with a slight grade (incase that makes a difference).
Thank you all for the fantastic answers! With that information I am able to determine that the fact that I am flat footed has a big impact. The shoes were fitted but my arch was not taken into account. I guess I need to go shopping again. :-)



Answer
Shin splints are most commonly caused by overpronation (foot roles in too much at the toe off phase of your gait/running motion). A neutral foot lands on the outside corner of your heel, roles inwards so that it is flat and then roles out on the angle of your toes at toe off. An overpronated foot lands on the outside of the heel, roles in flat but continues to roll in and comes off even with or inside the big toe side of the shoe. The reason this is a problem is that the muscle that is supposed to role you out at toe off (tibialis anterior muscle) is not strong enough to counter the weight of your body that has rolled your foot inwards too far. It continues to pull until it actually pulls itself off the bone where it attaches (this is what shinsplints are - shin splints are not a muscle fibre strain you are actually tearing muscle from the bone which is why it hurts so much and takes so long to heal). The reason why you didn't feel it before is because under less load (walking = less downward force and elliptical = no downward force) your body wasn't thrown into am overpronated position. Now that your are running the repetition of the overpronated state is resulting in shin splints.
To get rid of the shin splints you must first rest the muscle, ice wil help with the inflamation and pain. Next you need to get a really good pair of shoes designed to work with YOUR body. Just going and spending a lot of money will not gaurantee a good pair for you. It would be like buying a Ferarri for off roading - it's a great car but not for what you need. Look for a shoe that is designed for motion control. These styles have a very wide sole through the arch, are stiff if you try to "wring it out", have a very hard "heel counter" and have some type of a "medial post" (usually a dark grey foam of higher density running along the arch sie of the foot). If you aren't comfortable with these terms then go to your local running store and ask them. If they don't know these terms then walk away - they are not trained enough to assist you. A couple of models/brands that do produce some very good shoes for overpronators (motion control shoes) are Asics (gel 2100 series), Saucony (grid stable as one example) and New Balance. Do some research on their websites and they will have pictures to describe what I've talked about.

What causes a foot to feel like you are walking on pebbles in your shoe?




Elar


This feeling is in the area from the ball of the foot to the toes, and across the entire foot side to side. Is there any way to cure this? Suggestions?


Answer
It could be Mortons Neuroma or Metatarsalgia. There are nerves running through your foot that can get inflammation from a variety of things. The main one being shoes with little or no arch support.
You could try a shoe with a better arch support and see if that helps. Or try a drugstore for finding some metatarsal pads to insert in your shoe. In the meantime, don't wear high heels if you are a women or shoes with a narrow toe.
Try icing the area 15 minutes a day, several times a day. If you can, take Advil or Motrin to help with the pain as well as decrease inflammation in the area. If all else fails, schedule an appointment with your doctor. If this has been going on for a long time or you don't feel relief in the next few days, make an appointment. Since nerves are involved, it would be best to seek medical advice if it continues past a few days or is so painful you can't walk.




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Title Post: What causes shin splints and what is the best way to treat them? How can I avoid them in the future?
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