Does anyone else have horrible shin splints? Even if I ice them before and after they kill me. I wear Shox when I run, so I'm thinking that it may be good if I get some new tennis shoes.. Does anyone have any ideas?
thank you, thank you! :)
I get a horrible shin splint in my right leg. I went to a physical therapist once and she told me that my right leg is about 1/4-inch shorter than my left, and that when I run I end up compensating for it in strange ways which lead to the injury. She wanted me to wear a padded insert in my right shoe to even things up. Just something to keep in mind if nothing else helps.
I used to get shin splints myself. I know how bad they suck. You may have to lay off of running for awhile and stick to some lower impact cardio like the elliptical or swimming. I agree on getting a good pair of fitted running shoes. I recommend going to www.roadrunnersports.com for your running shoes. If you become a VIP member you get discount pricing and free shipping. The cool thing about the VIP program is you can try the shoes out and if you don't like them send them back for a full refund or exchange. I will usually buy two pairs to try out and send back the ones I don't like. They also have a great shoe finder online that will recommend the right shoe for your feet and running style. I usually call them up directly because they're very knowlegable and easy to work with. Once I found the right shoe and worked on my shin stretches, I've never had them again. I hope this helps you out. Good luck!
you may need a bigger shoe size if you are using your sneakers for running- i had terrible shin splints and then i went and got properly fitted- you need to have as much room as the width of your thumb between the end of your toes and the end of the shoe. i went up a full size and have had ZERO shin splints since then
also stretch your calves and ankles well beforehand!
Besides that, do warm-up exercises a lot, especially hopping ones. For example, take off your shoes and socks, raise your right leg. Hop forward 10 times, backward 10 times, right/left 10 each. Before you hop again, make sure that you're balanced (give yourself at least a second or two before hopping again). Change legs. Not sure the exact scientific use of this, but my coaches had us do this to build up our other muscles and help prevent shin splints.
Hope this helps!
