Recurring shin splints

Ok so from what I've gathered from this forum is nothin of seriousness but hopefully this will churn up some answers.
Well hello I'm Colton, I uh have a problem, I used to run alot and do runs like 10k's and such, and would train pretty hard, I had one bad case of shin splints so I took a break. Now everytime I return to my regimen I get shin splints. What would be the cause of this? I consider myself in fairly decent shape, my legs are strong, I just can't wrap my head around why I get this recurring condition. It is stopping me from reaching my goal (I.e. I can't train enough due to pain)
Would y'all suggest shoe insoles, or anything else, feel free to ask questions!

 

There's a runners thread here.....http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/sports-hobbies-interests/201127-official-runners-thread-49.html

I've recently had some issue with the outside of my ankle/tibfib area swelling up after running......prob not shin splints but from what I've researched you could try some compression socks/sleeves and get you're form analyzed for proper shoes at a quality running store! If you're a heel striker try running more mid-foot which will take some practice. I started by running barefoot in grass as you instinctually will not heel strike while running barefoot. Get ready for very sore calves!

 

Shin splints is pain and inflammation of the periosteum which is the thin soft tissue envelope around the bone. NSAIDS ie Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve is what I'd recommend in prescription dosing. Bottom line is you are likely running too much. You will probably have to taper your training. And restart on a pyramid training. ICE after runs should help. Custom or OTC orthosis can help if your biomechanics are off. IF you are pronating excessively they may help. Some have structural problems and equinus that leads to excessive pronation and this is typically not fixed without surgery ie moving the calcaneus under the mechanica axis of wt bearing, and lengthening your gastroc tendon. Or adding structural support to the arch. Excessive pronation causes shearing load forces on the tibia all the way to knees and hips. ON the other and if you have a structural High arch with excessive load on the outer part of the foot, this can be an issue also causing excessive shear on the tibia while running. I'd see a sports med doc/ Foot specialist if the problem continues. Specifically someone that deals with runners a lot.

Unilateral ankle swelling can be a lot of things. If you have a history of ankle instability this can lead to chronic and acute synovitis of the ankle joint which will be worse with activity. It can also be more if you ankle locks up at times, you may have an osteochondral defect of the talar dome with or without loose bodies in the joint. Typically this is diagnosed with MRI. Joint injections with steroids are pretty benign and typically offer several months of relief if the pain is bad enough.

 

Are you an ortho Doc? That's a lot of big fnacy words! LOL

I've since resolved my issues. Slower pace, better form/gait and ditched the "typical" stability shoe which made my feet/ankles weaker and added lots of stretching and foam rolling. Read the book Born to Run and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Finished an 18 miler the other day (training for a marathon) and felt great.

 

I'm a Crossfitter, a mountain bike racer and i used to do a lot of running as part of my training so i feel your pain on this i had compartment syndrome in my legs (still have just not as bad) i had it terrible for about a year on my medial side and doing box jumps and double unders i think is what finally set it off, i had swelling throbbing and numbness in my feet and it finally got to the point where i started physical therapy. I had work done including ultrasound and vaso machines and then of course the other shit they do in there like rehab exercises, but i hated it cuz it was a ton of really old people and i felt out of place. it did help a little but not much, for me there were a few things that made the biggest difference in the world. I used to walk on my toes and i also have a pretty flat arch so what helped me a lot was changing my striking pattern on my feet, as well as custom orthodics (shoe insoles) id recommend them a ton! they'll cost you about 150 bucks but they last forever. the biggest help tho as much as i hated it was rest, stretching and icing them. shin splints are pretty much just swelling and the best way to treat it just like any other time there is swelling is to RICE (rest, ice, elevate, and compression…id also recommend stretching your calf, was specifically my gastrocnemious and soleus in my case) and also NSAIDS. for me yeah it sucked its been about a year and I'm just starting to bring back running, box jumps and jump rope but I can do about a mile-two with out bad pain finally for me the only thing that fired them off was any form of impact so i cut most of that out, squatting and stuff like that i didn't have to give up. but i found rest them and let them heal and then slowly work back into them to build strength in your legs again, like you said "when i go back to my normal regimen" if you take two weeks off then they feel good and you jump into a 10k there going to just swell right back up. i found i could modify a lot of things to still get the cardiovascular exercise in, for me rowing, and i didn't have a problem biking either, anytime i did a workout i just supplemented the running for rowing. another thing you could try are calf compression sleeves i wear them and they help slightly with recovery…but good luck man i feel you on this hope they get healed up in no time, iv heard some people who have them for a month then others that have them for years hoping your one of the lucky ones! sorry if grammar is a bit off did this on my phone saw the issue and i had to give you my personal experience with it, hope it helps!

 

Damn 4runner, you jumped straight to the worst case.
I was going to say try a different pair of shoes, check your flexibility/mobility to see if you are tight somewhere causing an irregular gait, as well as just an overall running form check.

Glad you got it figured out. I've experienced them before. It sucked, plain and simple.

 

Sorry, not trying to confuse with big words. I am a foot and ankle surgeon so this is what I do for a living. I'm glad your issues have resolved. Born to Run is a great book.

This is all great advice. I agree and thank you for sharing.

 

Generally true but every foot is different. I HATE every pair of Asics I've put on. Nike Free's 1 or 2 are awesome because they allow my feet to flex and move how they were designed. Also, currently racing in LunarRacer's and they're the best shoe I've ever ran in.

Just giving you a hard time. I'm an xray tech and run a C-arm for ortho surgeon's so I know how they sound (smart LOL).

 

Oh sweet man. Yes we use large and mini c arm. quite frequently. Need the big c arm for the bigger cases. ie-

 

Oh those are fun! What part of the country you in?

 

Hells yea. LunarRacers are the best running shoe I've ever owned.
I've since switched to NB minimalist due to needing a tougher shoe, but if I was just running street, LunarRacers take the cake.

 

I've played soccer for decades and playing on hard surface + using shoes with inadequate cushioning + playing too much has always been a recipe for shin splints for me.

 

I'll be looking for a good trail shoe soon too but not sure what direction to go in?

 

I love the NB minimalist. Not the new ones. They are paper thin and fall apart easy. The older style is super durable. Only reason I bought a new pair after a year of abuse is b/c they smelled so bad. I don't wear socks, so they get pretty rank. I've hiked, ran, kayaked, climbed volcanoes, swam, etc... in them, and they haven't busted a stitch.