Stress fracture vs. Shin splints

Now, I was a gymnast for 18 years and put overdue time on shin splints. Luckily, my coach had several exercises that worked wonderfully. It's been about 4 years since I've done gymnastics seriously (I still coach, so I play around a lot), but now I am a runner. I have a pain in my lower, inner leg... it doesn't feel like shin splints because the pain is so pinpointed on one spot on the bone. However, it doesn't always hurt while I'm running... though today I did start to feel it acting up a little, which hasn't happened at all yet. Then tonight at work (coaching gymnastics) it all of a sudden started throbbing, then went away after a few minutes. I'm not sure what to think of it or what steps to take next. Any ideas as to what it could be, whether it's geared more towards shin splints or a stress fracture? Thanks in advance.

I have a stress fracture in my foot right now, and it hurts constantly.  When I put pressure on it is when it hurts the most, but I always feel it.  It is also swollen and bruised.  I don't know if there are different symptoms for fractures in different areas, but if the pain comes and goes....my guess would be it is not a fracture.  But, I'm not a doctor either.  Good luck and I hope you feel better soon! 

I had stress fractures in college, i was a lacrosse player, and it sounds as you described, it didn't always hurt when i was playing or running but after it was an ache... I had them in my foot and both shin bones, it was the inside of my mid shin, and it hurt when you applied pressure, even light pressure. I also had patella tendonitis, unfortunlately it's the way i'm built, wide hips and knock knees, it's very common in females.  I'd get a bone scan, but unfortunately it's just rest that heals it.  I would ease up on running and do lower impact stuff like biking and eliptical.

Go get it checked. As alot of people on CC know - I had a tibia stress fracture that went to a full fracture. It hurt like hell when it broke - in the middle of a 8 mile hike and I had to finish the hike going down hill in pouring rain.

It took 11 months to heal to the point where I could run again! If I had intercepted it early it would have only been a 2 -3 months of recovery time.

I would definitely get a bone scan - they are not fun but the only way to determine where things are with a stress fracture.

Good Luck.

It might be a stress fracture.... whatever it is I have the same problem right now.  They took an x-ray but I haven't heard back from the doc yet.  She told me that it could be a stress fracture or an aggravated muscle from running....

Hope you get feeling better soon. :) 

Original Post by kc575757:

I had stress fractures in college, i was a lacrosse player, and it sounds as you described, it didn't always hurt when i was playing or running but after it was an ache... I had them in my foot and both shin bones, it was the inside of my mid shin, and it hurt when you applied pressure, even light pressure. I also had patella tendonitis, unfortunlately it's the way i'm built, wide hips and knock knees, it's very common in females.  I'd get a bone scan, but unfortunately it's just rest that heals it.  I would ease up on running and do lower impact stuff like biking and eliptical.

 How long does it typically take to heal? 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've also had two stress fractures in one foot as well as one in my hand once... so...

It feels more like a stress fracture than shin splints, but I'm no doctor (although we gymnasts tend to believe we're better doctors than the real ones!). I've also had some swelling in the area... mostly around that part of the leg and below. Sometimes it will be swollen and I'll be able to press on my leg with my finger and an indent will form and stay for a minute or so. Is there any correlation between the pain and the swelling, do you think? I first noticed the swelling way back around July, but there was no pain in the leg at that time -- at least that I had noticed when pressing on it, and certainly not while running. It's weird. 

I hate going to the doctor, especially if there definitely is something wrong, because I'm not good at.. following doctor's orders, I guess you could say. Growing up in a tough gymnastics environment, we were taught to work through pain, and it's kind of a habit now!