Shin Splints

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Dec 19, 2012
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Not sure what forum this would go in, but how do you treat shin splints? I am getting very aggravated at the HS coach with her workouts. Very intense workouts within 30-40 min period...some are timed. I don't think the girls have conditioned enough over time (with start of school being only 2.5 weeks ago) to do these types of workouts. Anyway off soap box...what I have read about shin splints says to STOP all activities for 2-3 weeks until the pain goes away. Her pain only comes up during workout...especially a running workout (i.e. wind sprints and diagonals). They go away after she rests and ices her shins down. Not tender to touch or anything like that. And she's fine while pitching/batting or anything that doesn't involve running. LOL.

So what say you? Experience? Recommendations? Suggestions??

My dd got shin splints every year in HS from sprinting on the gym floor. We tried all different types of gym shoes but it didn't matter. It had to be the way she ran on the hard surface. Anyway, see if the coach will let her peddle the bike while everyone else sprints/runs. That's what my dd did her senior year and the shin splints went away within 2 weeks.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
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Boston, MA
After reading everyone saying that floors and footwear cause shin splints, I asked a friend of mine who coaches marathon runners and he confirmed that shin splints are caused by running incorrectly. pounding the feet, coming down on the heels - that's what does it. Hard surfaces and footwear with rigid soles will exacerbate the conditions that create shin splints, but if you are not landing correctly you'll get them no matter what kind of shoes you're wearing. Teach your kids to run with their weight on the ball of their foot. (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure)

The reason I make a point of saying this is that one of the most valuable things that I learned in High School and I never forgot is how to run correctly. It amazes me how many kids I see running who do not run correctly- but then I wouldn't either if it hadn't been for the track coaches I had. My oldest daughter has such terrible mechanics that I cannot stand to walk behind her. She has stopped playing softball due in part to a nasty case of shin splints she got pre-season her Freshman year of college. I know this one girl who was one of the fastest runners on the team, but she ran like she had a pocketbook slung from her arm, arms flailing...
 
Jul 23, 2015
3
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Each individual is different, but you *can* continue to run with them, but with a drastically reduced amount in mileage and/or speed.
Be careful here. Shin splints can lead to stress fractures. My DD, freshman year HS, wanted desperately to make the softball team that had exactly 1 open varsity spot. She's a tough cookie when it comes to pain. 2 weeks of tryouts/workouts inside a gymnasium during which she wasn't about to let anything get in her way of making the team and we get good news/bad news: She made the varsity team, but two days after learning she made the team, she learned she had stress fractures in both legs, one of which the Dr described as "so bad I don't know how you are walking around". She spent her freshman season on crutches, watching her team.
 
Jun 16, 2015
65
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Be careful here. Shin splints can lead to stress fractures. My DD, freshman year HS, wanted desperately to make the softball team that had exactly 1 open varsity spot. She's a tough cookie when it comes to pain. 2 weeks of tryouts/workouts inside a gymnasium during which she wasn't about to let anything get in her way of making the team and we get good news/bad news: She made the varsity team, but two days after learning she made the team, she learned she had stress fractures in both legs, one of which the Dr described as "so bad I don't know how you are walking around". She spent her freshman season on crutches, watching her team.

Which is exactly what happened to me:

One year I ran through them (decided to add speedwork at the end of marathon training--big mistake) and developed a stress fracture. You do not want a stress fracture because *that* will lay you up for a good six weeks.
 
Jun 18, 2013
322
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I can tell that I am on a softball forum and not a basketball forum. :)

Shin splints were the bane of my existence through my basketball career and they are caused by a number of issues. One of the primary causes is indeed a poor running form, but they are caused by any repetitive overloading of the lower leg muscles during exertion. This can be caused by improper running mechanics, improper jumping mechanics, overuse, or weakness or other muscle systems. I deal with shin splints quite a bit now due to my basketball team and the fact that shin splints are more common among girls. There are a few things that can be done to both treat the pain and to help prevent the occurrence of new symptoms.

First, if your DD is suffering from severe pain then you need to see a doctor and make sure that she is actually dealing with shin splints. As was mentioned earlier, she could have stress fractures or even worse compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome is relatively rare, but serious enough that you want to be sure.

Second, rest and ibuprofen will help relieve the pain but in my experience the problem will generally return as soon as your DD returns to workouts. She needs to learn to manage the underlying issue that is causing the shin splints in the first place. Take video of her running and watch how she lands. Help her work on her core muscle groups and develop her overall flexibility as these both will help her not overstress her lower leg muscles when she is working out by providing proper balance. If the team is doing plyometric work, make sure that she is landing on her toes when she is jumping and not flat footed or on her heels.

Third, there is a simple stretch that can be done that will help alleviate the pain of active shin splints and that she will want to do before every workout to keep from getting them in the future. Find a step. Either the first step in a set of bleachers or a step for plyometric work. Anything stable that she can stand on. Have her balance on her toes on the edge of it and stretch down as far as she can. I have all of my girls do this a few times before practices and games and it is a huge help in preventing shin splints.

step-calf-stretch.jpg
 

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