Shin splints for nearly 10 months now, not recovering despite rest? Please help!

Bump?

Gonna get flack for this from the "purists", but try minimalist shoes. I had chronic shin splints for about 2 years (training 2 weeks then off between 2 weeks and 3 months with shin splints). I went quite a bit of money physiotherapy etc which didn't really make a significant difference.

In desperation I eventually bought vibrams and wore them full day for a time, and even used to do about 30% of my mileage in them for about 1.5 years. Since I bought the vibrams 2.5 years ago I've never again had shin splints.

RSAR wrote:

Gonna get flack for this from the "purists", but try minimalist shoes. I had chronic shin splints for about 2 years (training 2 weeks then off between 2 weeks and 3 months with shin splints). I went quite a bit of money physiotherapy etc which didn't really make a significant difference.

In desperation I eventually bought vibrams and wore them full day for a time, and even used to do about 30% of my mileage in them for about 1.5 years. Since I bought the vibrams 2.5 years ago I've never again had shin splints.

Very similar story to this fellow. After a long time off from running (4 years or so) I spent about 18-24 months doing the same stop/start schedule. I tried many solutions but nothing worked until I changed my foot strike. I was very heel/toe and gradually over a period of months I made myself a mid foot striker. When I get tired in a marathon I will revert back to heel toe. But otherwise mid foot striking has become my normal stride after 3 years of running that way.

I never went as far as vibrams but I do all my training (45-50 mpw) in a lighter trainer. Check out the pose method, but really the easiest way is to run as softly on your lower legs as you can and reduce the time your feet touch the ground as much as possible. Keep your hips high and out in front ("run from the hips"). Watch some videos of greats like pekka vasala, lasse viren and emulate their stride. It takes some practice and you need to incorporate slowly but it has fixed all my same symptoms as you describe.

yep. you're likely a heavy striker on your heels with your heel landing in front of your center of gravity.

go barefoot. it will work

Provide your e-mail address and I will send you the program I have my high school team practice to avoid or treat shin splints. It has been successful in 95% of the cases.

Minimalist/barefoot isn't necessary. Just stop dorsiflexing your foot (toes angled upwards) with your forward landing foot. Just let your landing foot fall without pulling the toes up. This is a very simple solution that will work.

I apologize if you already tried this as I did not read your post very carefully but have you tried compression socks? I wear them during the day but not to run and have not had shin splints since about a month after I started wearing them.

http://www.amazon.com/CEP-Sports-Mens-Progressive-Sleeves/dp/B00A2OUZFY/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1392741746&sr=8-12&keywords=compression+socks+cep

OP This poster is right also. My point mentioning barefoot/ minimalist is that it encourages proper running form. it can be done without minimalist footwear. However, I found running barefoot helped me transition. Now I can run with shoes without dorsiflexing my foot/heelstriking as I mentioned before. I could not figure out how to do it with my normal trainers first. Maybe you can, but minimalist is my recommendation.

Agree with this.

WhitePony wrote:

I apologize if you already tried this as I did not read your post very carefully but have you tried compression socks? I wear them during the day but not to run and have not had shin splints since about a month after I started wearing them.

http://www.amazon.com/CEP-Sports-Mens-Progressive-Sleeves/dp/B00A2OUZFY/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1392741746&sr=8-12&keywords=compression+socks+cep

I went to the nearby sports stores to find, but the best I could find are these:

Are they quite the same, and would these suffice?

I never went to Vibrams, but I tried my brother's Reebok RealFlex or something (which was supposedly barefoot running shoes) for a day and it hurt like crazy during the run, so I immediately stopped. Right now I haven't even been running though, and I don't think we can bring our own shoes into the army.

Those are the sleeves and I think they are total garbage because mine never fit tight enough.

My experience with this type of sock was great when I wore them during the day and at night. I would never wear them when I run, but that's me.

http://www.cepcompression.com/recovery-pro-socks.html

just the facts wrote:

Provide your e-mail address and I will send you the program I have my high school team practice to avoid or treat shin splints. It has been successful in 95% of the cases.

Why not just post it in the thread for everyone to see?

prob stress fracture

Just STOP RUNNING! If you're trying to enlist in the military, then focus on going to your recruit training healthy. Entry level physical training is a complete joke for any prior endurance athlete, or anyone athletically inclined.

Do the following: Stop running, get healthy, do a little endurance lifting, and spend quality time with family/friends. When you do start running again (at boot camp), focus on NOT over-striding, and instead landing with your feet directly under you. It helps if you just think about increasing your cadence.

You don't want to go to boot camp with an injury, and you don't need to be in shape going in to finish at the top of your class.

If you listen to NOTHING else on this board...DO NOT GO INJURED! It doesn't matter what your ship date is, you can always push it back, there is nothing legally holding you to it. If you go injured, you will be stuck there until you are medically cleared, and that will be THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF YOUR LIFE!

Good luck!

Oh Really Fool wrote:

Why not just post it in the thread for everyone to see?

I would rather not share it with those who have only a passing interest. This opens up a dissertation of what is right, wrong, good, and bad with my approach rather than remaining on topic of helping the op. If someone is interested they can leave an e-mail and I will try to help. The original poster left his email and I sent him the program I have HS kids practice.

But the MRI didn't show any stress fractures even when the pain was at its worst. My problem now is that it's not going away completely despite rest.

Yes I can confirm he sent me the document and I look forward to trying the exercises. Hope it helps!

Thanks for the advice!

The problem is, I've already stopped running since late November, but the pain isn't going away. I am wondering if it's the swimming now (or the 5 minute walk to the pool...) that's causing the problem.

Where I come from, military service is compulsory. It is more of a two-year training thing rather than actual full-time soldier work, and we cannot continue with our educations (university, basically) until we go through this.

I am already "medically cleared" and I have no means of delaying the enlistment. And I wouldn't want it delayed because it'll disrupt my education. Just shin splints are not severe enough for a medical downgrade, too. Once enlisted the service duration will not extend regardless of whether there's a medical problem delaying the training or not.

Hi, it's OP again. Sorry to resurrect this otherwise dead thread...

So... updates. I've received my enlistment letter and will be enlisting into military service 15 days. I cannot delay that unless I report that my condition has deteriorated (which it has not). I've also cut down on the swimming rather significantly, and I've been stretching and icing religiously.

But the pain is not gone. It's minimal but it's there and it can be felt if I push on my shin with my fingers. I don't really know how my shins will respond once I start training, but I'm really terrified that it will not recover by the time I enlist.

I really don't get it. The MRI showed that the damage was not even that serious and that was 3 months ago. I've not been running, so even if I had a biomechanical problem I've yet to have the opportunity to allow that to worsen my condition... I really don't understand why my shins are not recovering.

It may be too late for professional help, but would some form of therapy be helpful? I've been reading up on stuff like chiropractics and physiotherapy, although the consensus seem to be that rest is more than sufficient for the recovery of shin splints. What do you guys think?

I have had them too, for just as long! Any updates from all of you would be great.

I have stopped running, iced, gotten deep-tissue massage and ART from a chiropractor, acupuncture (helps for a little while only). They developed after a shin stress fracture and tibia stress fracture (in the same leg), and two MRIs have proven I don't have those fractures any longer -- or any others.

I don't know why they started in the "good" leg that had not been injured, but they are slightly worse in that leg, actually.

A doctor just told me to completely rest (no swimming or much walking, even) and that I might end up living with them. I am devastated. Even if I can never run again, must I really live like this?

Any ideas would be great -- and please weigh in if you think complete rest would be helpful. To me, that does me no favors since I am still trying to regain some strength in my previously injured leg and that foot, which atrophied from being on crutches/in a brace after my injury.

Thank you!

JDNYC

Since you've tried everything and haven't gotten very far, I have something for you to try. As a PT, I have noticed that sometimes shin splints can actually be referred pain from the lumbar spine which presents itself through the peroneal nerve. If what I'm saying is right then there can be a relatively quick fix which I have seen work numerous times including with my wife.

Do something that provokes your pain such as walking, running climbing stairs etc. and make a mental note of your pain rating and location. Then I want you to perform 50 END RANGE standing back bends with your hands on your hips. Your lower back will likely get sore or"tight". Then reassess your pain level with your benchmark test from earlier. If your pain level eases at all...then you don't have shin splints but rather lumbar radiculopathy. Then simply perform 15 repeated end range back bends every hour you're awake till the pain is completely gone. It can be that simple. Good luck!