Alright, here's the deal.. I've had to run on concrete a lot more the past 2-3 weeks than I usually have, and now my right shin/the area right below the knee is bothering me. It feels like it's tight as hell, especially after I run, and I can feel it a lot whenever I put any weight on my right leg. What the hell is the problem?
The problem is obvious. You are a weak p u s s y.
So, Doctor, are you suggesting some sort of muslce imbalance? Care to elaborate?
There are a lot of muscles that attach there. It's the "bump" on your bone right below your knee called the tibial tuberosity and it can be quite painful if the tendons that attach get inflammed. If you have been running on concrete a lot and especially if you have been running downhill, it could be a problem with your quads causing the pain. Oftentimes a problem with one part of the body will be felt somewhere seemingly unrelated. All of the muscles of your quadriceps attach at your tibial tuberosity and if they are really tight from bracing against impact, they can pull at the tendon that attaches them to your lower leg causing inflammation and pain. You need to be very careful because tendon attachment sites are a prime area for stress fractures. If the pain gets worse with ice and not better, take time off immediately and get a bone scan.
Also, some inner thigh muscles attach more medially to your upper shin area, so if the pain is slightly inside, your problem is probably with your adductors. Surprisingly, your hamstrings could also be the problem if you are experiencing pain more to the inner side of the upper part of your shin bone. The problem is most likely not at all due to your lower leg muscles (since they don't attach at your tibial tuberosity) but due to tightness and/or weakness of your thigh muscles. Try massaging your quads (especially right above your knee) and have someone massage your hamstrings. The stick (a massager thingy) works great for this kind of thing. Ice the area before and after you run (give it a little time to thaw out before you head out the door) and take anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen for awhile. Until you have ruled out a stress fracture it is probably a good idea to cross train or take time off. Don't bike because biking uses your thigh muscles heavily. Instead water run or use an elliptical at a low resistance.
Good luck and I hope your pain goes away soon!
Hey cruising,
You bumped this and then didn't check back. With all the time and effort I put into that reply, you better dang well read this, son! :)
hey- thanks a lot for the reply. I understand what you're saying, and I've actually been trying to massage the quads recently, as they've felt pretty tight. Another thing, though, is that I feel a tight spot a few inches below that knee area, in my shins. Would this be some kind of shin splints?
I really appreciate your help
Is the spot more on your bone or in the soft tissue of your calf near your bone? You could also have a case of shin splints, though I don't think that they are related to your first problem. Usually shin splints are felt on the lower 1/3 of the shin, but some people get them higher than that. I know I have a tight spot there and the one thing that works to get rid of it is just to hold my thumb or forefinger on the trigger spot until the muscle relaxes (you don't have to press really hard, just push down on what you feel is the center of the knot.)
Keep me posted on how you're doing :)
It's more on the bone. I spent some time massaging the area today with my fist/fingers and it didn't do much, but it feels a little less tight if only because of the fact that I didn't run today/yesterday.