Remedies for Shin Splints

I live on a hill and when I'm getting in shape and have shin splints bugging me I just walk backwards up the hill at the end of my runs. Usually walking backwards up my 200 meter hill after my runs for a week does the trick. This really helps to stretch the shins out.

Over the last five years, there have been some great threads on this site on shin splints. They are still in the site history here, and are searchable.

I got to the point that I couldn't walk right. I was stubborn, trying to run through them. Consider missing the 10K and trying to preserve your legs for the rest of 2011, 2012, etc.

One week too many on shin splints can be very difficult to undo later on. It's not just about pain tolerance, it's about losing the ability to heal properly.

Good luck.

If you can't walk, maybe you should see a doctor and make sure it's not something worse. If it's just shin splints, wear compression socks or sleeves. After years of shin problems (shin splints that escalated to stress reactions and fractures), this was what finally helped me.

Stop running so much

The best way to get rid of shin splints is to find out your specific cause for them. This is an article about the most common causes for shin splints and what to do about it, hope it helps...

http://www.squidoo.com/shin-splints-treatment-for-athletes

Here are some things that help strengthen the shins.

1- tapping foot while sitting. After you get to the point were you feel it, that's when you need to continue. everything past that feeling is hellping.

2 - ice. common sense. ice after runs right on the shins.

3 - Common sense. Water run. Bike and other.

4 - pick up towels with your toes. Not between them, but by curling your toes

Find out what's wrong first. I get shin splints as an overuse injury. The very last thing that I would want to do is to 'strengthen' them. Stretching my calves and taping help me.