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Just about anyone who has ever played high school sports has rubbed a Dixie cup of ice up and down their shins to deal with the painful shin splints. While this is still being prescribed today by many coaches, athletic trainers, and physical therapists, I think that the Dixie cup itself is just as effective in treating shin splints as the actual ice.
There are two types of shin splints – anterior (front of the leg), and posterior (back of the leg). In either case, the shin splints occur from a muscle imbalance between the two. If the tibialis anterior (front muscle) is [neurologically] inhibited (meaning weak), the muscle will easily fatigue when walking or running, causing pain and making it feel as if the shin is “splintering.” (No, it’s not a stress fracture in the tibia or shinbone.) But the weakness can also cause the muscle on the opposite side, the tibialis posterior, to work extra hard to support the foot, so this can cause shin splints in the back of the leg. The story is the same in a vice-versa situation if the muscle in the back of the shin is weak causing the front to work harder.
Gait imbalances are very often seen in athletes as they wear the wrong types of footwear, such as over-supportive and motion-control shoes that don’t allow their foot muscles to behave naturally. Orthotics can also be the cause of shin splints – or later prescribed for the problem only to further alter body mechanics and cause a gait dysfunction. The foot, ankle, and lower leg muscles, tendons, and ligaments fatigue and muscle compensation begins when orthotics and non-minimalist shoes are worn. Some muscles work too hard to compensate, while others don’t work enough, so the pain begins. There’s a close relationship between shin splints and plantar fasciitis; the pain and injury just occurs in a different spot.
Too much physical, dietary, or emotional stress that the body cannot properly adapt to can tax the hormonal system and result in shin splints. Overtraining can result in shin splints – training too often (even aerobically) or too intensely (anaerobic), without adequate rest.
Don’t stretch those tender shin muscles or calves, it won’t help. Rather, look for tender muscle points (“trigger points”) throughout the muscles and rub them out as I show in the following video. Ice will rarely help, other than to numb the pain. So keep your bagged veggies in the freezer and off your legs.
For the Sock Doc Shin Splints Video – click here.
Dr. Stephen Gangemi "Sock Doc"
I'm a board-certified chiropractic physician and clinical nutritionist with a passion for true natural health care. I implement dietary & nutritional therapies, exercise & movement practices, and lifestyle changes along with manual therapy techniques to help the body heal and prevent illness and injuries.
Ralph says
These tips have helped me immensely! I was suffering from terible shin splints for days after my runs for about 6 months. Even after switching to minimalist shoes, they were still there. Using these tips from the Sock Doc I was able to eliminate my pain within a few (3-4) weeks. Thanks Doc!
Ralph H
Jason says
That’s because just switching to minimalist shoes isn’t necessarily going to make a bad gait better. You need to work at improving the root causes of your shin pain – the imbalances in muscles and/or flexibility of ankles and hips. Training minimalist can help, but only if done slowly, and with great care. And if you have other significant problems, like PF, they need to be treated first.
Oscar Salvendy says
Hi Doc,
I’ve enjoyed going through your site and found very helpful suggestions!
I’m an avid runner (7km’s run typically, 4 times a week) and have recently developed a very sensitive spot on the tibialis posterior (past 3 weeks), right where the soft spot meets the shin bone.
Do you think it’s just a trigger point that I should apply pressure to, or could it be a fracture?
It’s doesn’t really hurt running yet, but very sensitive to touch and I feel pressure when going to a squat position. I have used a massage stick (btw, do you think these are good to use?) on the area with minimal success, but when I ran it over the other side of the shin, found some extremely sensitive spots.
Also, not sure if it matters, but because of the snow/ice here I’ve been running exclusively in Microspikes, so maybe that’s changed my gait?
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Sock Doc says
Hi Oscar – impossible to say if that is a stress fx there or if you are having a muscle/fascia problem that can benefit from some trigger point work. Even an X-Ray might not reveal a stress fx until it starts to heal up. Most likely, however, the fx would hurt while running, and not just when you touch it. Yeah, I think the sticks are good – just be careful with them because people tend to push too hard with them. And yes, the spikes can definitely change your gait.
Avery Applegate says
Great article and advice. I run a lot and have had problems with shin splints. This is some great information
Sock Doc says
Thanks. I appreciate it.
mike s says
Found your videos and I like what I here. I started working out again to get back into my high school shape but I started to develop shin splints. A little about my self first. I am a big guy, about 6’2″ 280 pounds. I ran on a tread mill and I started slow but I quickly got better. Within my first month I shaved almost 5 MIN off my mile. Well I tried harder and faster. Now I know the hard impact was a factor as well as I am heavy and probably ran a hard mile almost everyday. About 2 months in Igot bad pain in my shins but kind of ignored it. One day it was so bad I had to have my friend help me walk out because my feet had gone completely numb. Well I got onto the bike and its been maybe 7 or 8 months since I did any hard impact training. I came across your info and I agree with most of it but here is where I’m torn. I had cross training shoes I was running in but switched to a more “supportive” pair of running shoes. The reason is because I am very very very flat footed. When I walk in the sad at the beach nearly my whole foot leave a print as opposed to just the heel and ball like my family and friends. You can hear it make a clapping slap sound when I walk around wet areas. I love being bear foot, nothing more liberating and comfortable but because of my flat feet I always “needed” arch support.
So after my whole life story my question to you is what would you recommend for people like me? I didn’t see too much on flat feet as I just found your video tonight but I hate the shin splints. In the past I’ve had shoes hurt being in them too long so I would like to know your take on that along with preventing shin splits.
Thank you very very much,
Mike
P.s. how do you feel about calf sleeves aswell. Sorry for such a long post
Sock Doc says
Hi Mike: Flat Feet Post is up here.
Calf sleeves – you mean compression socks, right? Okay for recovery, for performance I think there’s only a placebo effect.
Lisa Berthon says
Hello Doc,
I’ve been training hard (too hard as it turns out) for a 1/2 marathon PR (race next week). My posterior calf pain (deep, upper – not sure if muscle strain or shin splints) is terrible and causing weakness when running (“dead” leg feeling). I’m learning so much from your site and hope I’ve identified cause. I am addressing those issues and doing trigger point work.
So my questions are: Will running my *ss off next week make things worse? How do you feel about taping for pain relief during an event? Will the support of tape keep that weakness at bay? I don’t take NSAIDs but might it help on race day?
And my final question is: Where have you been all my life? I really really appreciate you sharing your expertise with me and the world. Your website is by far the best, most holistic resource out there! Your approach to healing and wellness is clearly rooted in deep AND broad knowledge. Thank you!
Sock Doc says
Hey Lisa, thanks for you very nice comments! I’ve been hiding out in Chapel Hill, NC I guess!
Another great thing about the SD site is you get to say ass – (unless that person is calling me one).
I’ll soon be writing a post on NSAIDs – basically it comes down to if you eat well (little to no refined carbs and little to no vege oils and no trans fats), then taking a NSAID will make you WORSE. If you don’t eat well, then well, you should be. You get the point.
If you’re training hard the weakness in your calf is probably because of stress to your adrenal glands, and treating the trigger point will not help much, but it may give you temporary relief. You can try rubbing out your adrenal reflex which may get that calf feeling better much faster. The point is approximately 1″ lateral and 2″ above your navel. Lie on your back and rub out the spots in a circular motion – pressing down about 1/2″ into your abdomen (both sides even though only one calf is an issue). If the point is active it will hurt like hell. Rub it out each day about 1 min.
Sam Edwards says
Hey, I just wanted to chime in and offer my experience for your consideration. I’m a competitive ultra trail runner, and have overtrained for races more times than I’d like to mention. Last year while on a training run, I suddenly lost roughly 70% of the strength in my left foot and calf… it felt as if my leg was dead from the knee down. In addition, I had absolutely no pain associated with it. It turned out to be a disk in my lower back that was pinching my sciatic nerve. In addition, my calves were way too tight. After several visits to the chiropractor, I was good to go (I still go for regular adjustments, however).
This story proves the Sock Doc’s overall message of focussing less on the symptom and more on the cause. It seems like I’ve had every running related injury, and can say from experience that you are right on with your advice.
Monte says
Hi Sock Doc,
I heard you on Trail Runner Nation and appreciate you advice.
I’m running my first Martahon in about a month and my longest run has been 16 miles. Problem is, my shin splint (only on the right interior) is so bad literally every step of the 16 was painful. My question is, should I shut it down and cross train at this point to see what I can do the heal or power through another couple long runs?
Also, I’ve been taping and it may have made it worse. Would that even make sense?
Thanks again for all of your advice.
Monte
Sock Doc says
Thanks Monte. “Powering through” is never a good idea – nothing good comes from it. Yes, taping can definitely make the problem worse; I’ve seen taping, even “correct” taping hinder gait and muscles.
You still have time to make the race if you can take care of the SS in the next week or so.
B says
Dear Sock Doc,
I have had shin splints on and off for a few years now. I suspected it was because of tight/”trigger points” in my lower legs. I was wondering how to stop those trigger points from forming after you get them massaged out?
I have been running minimalist for about three years now, only own minimalist shoes and am barefoot around the house as much as possible. I have also been eating a paleo style diet for several months as well. I only run a few miles at a time, and generally very slow pace to focus on good form. Problems start if I start running any type of meaningful mileage a week (eight or more miles), even if I build up slowly.
My plan at this point is to get as many of the little knots out of my legs as possible, run barefoot as much as possible rather than even Lunas or VFFs, and do squats and deadlifts for strength. Any other advice?
Thanks!
Sock Doc says
All the advice on the “why” of the trigger points is here: https://sock-doc.com/2012/04/trigger-point-therapy/
nicole says
Dear Sock Doc,
I’m having terrible problems with shin splints and have one week to go before a 10k event I’ve been training for. What do you think about using foam rollers to treat this kind of injury? I saw something on youtube about this and would love to know what you think. I’ve used the rollers in the past to loosen up my IT band, and get kinks out of my back. Do you think it would be helpful to use this kind of treatment for shin splints?
Sock Doc says
Foam rollers sure won’t hurt, but I think what I show in the video is more specific & effective.
nicole says
Hadn’t actually seen the video and just watched it. I need to buy a new pair of shoes and it never would have occurred to me to get minimalist shoes. I always thought there would be more pounding on the joints and a higher injury risk if I didn’t wear shoes with the extra cushioning and support that all the running stores now sell. I’ll certainly keep this in mind when I buy my new shoes and will also try the trigger point therapy you discuss. The icing hasn’t helped at all so I’m open to trying something different. With my 10k coming up next week, and the pain getting progressively worse, I just hope I’ll be able to complete the event.
Sock Doc says
Make sure you read the post on this site “Lose Your Shoes” so you understand how to transition out of your current footwear. The more padding – the more heel strike. The more heel strike – the more stress on the shins (and the rest of your body).
nicole says
I have trained for a 10k race which is happening tomorrow. Over the past 3 weeks I’ve developed shin splints. Not the ones in the front of the lower leg, but the ones that are more on the inside part of the lower leg. The pain is getting worse and when we did a short final run on Thursday, it was brutal. It’s too late at this point to get any kind of treatment but I’m wondering if you could suggest something that could help get me through the race on Sunday. I know it might not be the brightest idea to do the run, but I’ve been training for it and it’s really important to me. I’ve been taking Advil which dulls the pain, but is there anything else that you could suggest?
Sock Doc says
Yeah you should not race injured. It might be very important to you but consider you might be sidelined for many weeks or months if you “stick it out” and race. The best you can do is go very easy and work the trigger points if you decide to race. If Thrs short run was “brutal” I’d say you could be making a very costly mistake tomorrow.
Donal White says
Great article, I’ve had similar views as you in relation to stretching for a long time (straining a muscle beyond the elastic constant is surely as “good” for it as it is for a concrete beam), but I’ve never had them confirmed.
I’ve had chronic shin splints for about 6 years, sometimes manageable sometimes not, but for some reason I still love to run and race. I’ve had anterior compartment syndrome in my right lower leg, that seemed to be resolved with surgery (fasciotemy). I’ve ran track, cross country and road races since without the compartment syndrome, or pain on the anterior side of my right leg returning.
My main problem is extremely tender sensitive spots on the posterior side of my left tibia bone from just above the ankle to halfway up the lower leg. I was at one point unable to run at all, skip, or even walk very far without pain. Icing, resting, cross-training, stretching, and “strengthening” with exercises such as calf raises, have never seemed to address the problem.
I’ve just recently started self massage focusing on trigger points and working with a physiotherapist, that seems to have improved things a little already (after 1 week), but it’s too early to tell if it’s the massage or the long rest of 3 months I took before trying to run again.
With the massage therapy I’ve just recently jogged 20 minutes about 5 times, with a day between each run, relatively pain free, I can still feel a minor pain in my left leg when I run, but it’s definitely better than it used to be. The shin and bone are still extremely sensitive to touch. I eat `fairly well and drink plenty of water (and milk).
Anyway……my question is this!
along with the trigger point and massage therapy, and no more static stretching, are there any strengthening exercises I should be doing?. Particularly for the inside of my lower left leg, which my physio said was noticeably weaker than the anterior side. Thanks for your time!!
Sock Doc says
Hi Don. I think the best “exercises” are natural movements such as running, walking, crawling, and squatting when it comes to rehab. NO exercise, including these will “turn on” a weak muscle but they will help once they are firing again. Isolation exercises such as calf raises or toe raises are, in my opinion, a waste of time. Unless you walk on your toes or your heels a lot 🙂
Donal White says
Thanks a lot for the response dock!,
I’ve gone through two pairs of orthotics, but they were definitely just moving the problem elsewhere, so I ditched them about 6 months ago, and did a lot of technique work to switch from being a bit of a heel striker to a more natural running style now. My physio said that my calf was knotted and twisted in different directions, probably from all the chopping and changing.
My sixth run back went pretty smoothly today, this new approach is definitely paying dividends. When you talk about getting a muscle “firing again”, do you mean to free up the knots and rehab until the area is completely pain free?, and thanks again for your time, this means a lot to me!
Sock Doc says
By “firing” of a muscle I mean that it’s neurologically facilitated again. With respects to muscle testing – it’s a 5 on a 1-5 scale (1 being no movement of the muscle/limb/joint). Hard to tell if you’re at a 5 or a 4 on your own but if it’s pain free and full ROM then most likely is a 5.
Donal White says
Thanks Dock!
Jill says
Hi Doc, I was diagnosed with cullulitis, straight on from that came shin splints, NSAID, rest and ice, been doing that now on and off for 5wks. Prior to that was doing Zumba, quite an impact aerobic exercise 3 times a wk, walk dog 1 hour every day too. Do you think it was the Zumba? thoroughly fed up of not exercising, getting depressed! any other suggestions greatly appreciated. Also probably relevant I am 58. Thanks so much for your time.
Sock Doc says
You mean cellulitis? Read the “Start Here” articles in the upper right corner – especially the First Aid and the Training Principles. Ice, rest, and NSAIDS not the best ideas and your Zumba was probably very anaerobic.
Paul, U.K. says
Hi Doc,
I play football (soccer) 3 times a week and have suffered through shin splints and plantar fasciitis for the best part of 5 or so years. I go through spells of resting for 2 weeks when the pain gets too bad (it even hurts to walk fastly), so I’m not convinced lack of rest is the issue. I’ve tried everything to solve plantar fasciitis and shin splints, from buying tight football boots, loose boots with insoles, leg stretches, rest…the whole works. It’s at the point where I reallly need to book an appointment with a physio but cannot really afford it. The pain is on either side of the arch of my foot and the tenderness of the shins is either side of the shin bone, but at the very lower part of the shin, close to the ankle. I’m not sure if the issue could be to do with me having large calf muscles (like, abnormally large) that aren’t particularly toned – could this be causing the muscle imbalance do you think? Your video on tissue massage therapy is the first time that I have seen it recommended so I will give it a try! Your website and videos are very informative, so many thanks for your help.
Cheers,
Paul
Sock Doc says
Yeah ideally you need someone to check that out. It is not from your large calves, and it is not from not resting too much – I can tell you that much. Sounds like you haven’t given the therapies I show in the videos a long enough try so see how that goes and then you can report back here. You’ll want to watch the one on Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, and the Foot Video (all 3 of em’).
Paul, U.K. says
Hi Doc,
I checked all down both shin bones and I had trigger points running all the way down the inside of, and all the way down, both shins, as well as trigger points throughout the calves. I’ve been releasing them the past week since I commented here and I can report that, after playing football twice, the shin splints have dramatically reduced. There are now fewer trigger points and it does not hurt as much to touch.
However I still have plantar fasciitis pain (although nowhere near as bad). It might not even be PF because the pain doesn’t come from the heel of my foot, but rather from the arch of the foot. I have a tendency to walk/run on my tip toes (and have done since I could walk) so I’m not sure if there could be a connection there? Could it also be from the pounding of the ground from the football boots? However, having played football on indoor, natural grass, astroturf and other pitch surfaces, as well as wearing insoles, I don’t think the pain is just from the way that I run. Is there anything you could suggest that could relieve this pain?
Your therapy has helped massively and to be able to walk day to day and to play sports without shin splints is a massive relief so many thanks!
Cheers,
Paul
Sock Doc says
Great to hear Paul. Those fake turfs can really do a number on your feet and your entire body, so I’m sure that is part of it. Could be improper footwear too, especially if your feet hurt after not wearing them for a while. Check the entire calves – all the way down the back of your lower leg, especially the soleus (lower part).
Insoles? Not orthotics or supports I hope. If so, those could be a contributing factor.
Paul, U.K. says
Hi Doc,
Yeah, thinking about it, I only play on fake astroturf and on an indoor basketball court gym. Obviously can’t be good for my feet, so you’re definitely right about that – I didn’t get foot pain as severely on natural grass. The shin splints are miles better and I can measure this in such simple ways – walking fastly for a bus would previously give me shin splints, but it doesn’t any more.
The old football boots I had fitted quite well but I kept rolling my ankle in them (pretty much Grade 2 sprained my ankle once every 6 weeks or so), so I bought bigger boots this time and put insoles in them. I tried my old boots on last week and I could feel the actual studs of the boot on the bottom of my foot and had to take them off – the pounding of the studs made me think that’s what caused the PF issue in the first place.
I’m looking at buying some new boots for fake turfs and I was wondering what advice you could offer? Should the boot fit tightly or loosely? Buying new boots will help me to do away with insoles, but I think I need something that gives more foot protection than my old boots where I could feel the studs on my feet. Sorry for all the questions, but your information is very valuable to me and I don’t want to buy new boots on misinformation which could lead to more PF! Will keep with the trigger point therapy in the back of the calves for PF in the meantime, many thanks.
Cheers,
Paul
Sock Doc says
I think you need to go with whatever footwear is going to help you protect your feet from both other players and the astorturf. These are probably not going to be ideal shoes because you’re playing on a very undesirable turf. But tight or loose – I don’t know; whatever feels best for you.
Gina says
I have been suffering from a heel spur and plantar fasciitis caused by a fall that put my hip out of alignment. I had two manipulations by a D.O. To realign the hip then spent six weeks in physical therapy. The pain was almost gone at the end of the six weeks. We then moved houses and the extra physical demands of the move and lack of doing the at home exercises have caused a relapse. I know I need to get back to the exercises but now it feels like I also have shin splints. I have very sensitive spots on my calf. There are spider veins in these sore spots. How do I tell if it is a trigger point or pain from the spider veins? I am afraid to massage the spots if it will cause problems to the veins.
Sock Doc says
You won’t have tenderness in spider veins, but you may in a varicose vein. https://sock-doc.com/2011/07/varicose-veins/
Spider veins are similar as I write in the article – adrenal issues.
Gina says
Thank you. I just read the link. I will look to making changes in my diet to include more of the foods you listed. The veins are nothing like the photo but may be the beginning stage. If the sore spots are indeed the start of varicose veins should I not massage those spots?
Sock Doc says
Right, those are varicose veins, nothing like your spider veins but the same processes cause both. Sounds like you don’t need to worry about staying off those tender areas as long as they’re just spider veins. If you get a throbbing “hot” pain then that could indicate a vascular problem you’d want to have checked out.
yaser says
hi Doc, i had pain in my left shin a year go since then i didn’t do any running, now im running a fast mile a day and the pain is back again so is this shin splints or Stress Fractures??
Sock Doc says
Impossible to know via the internet!
Paul Atherton says
Hi Doc
If you remember, I posted on this topic about 6 months ago. Pretty much had ongoing shin splints and plantar fasciitis for 6 years, despite only being 22 years old. I started working, so I thought I’d make use of the private healthcare scheme that my employer enrolled me into by going to physio to treat my shin splints/plantar fasciitis.
I’ve had 10 physio sessions and the shin splints got slightly better – those sore spots that you recommend trigger point therapy for started to disappear, especially on the outside of the lower leg. I used orthotics (I know your feelings on them already, but my physio suggested using them and I couldn’t exactly say no), but I don’t feel they’ve helped much and the blisters they cause when doing sport are brutal.
I’ve rested most of the time and my shin splints got better, until i played soccer again and they came back the next few days and it hurt to walk. But the real problem is the plantar fasciitis; my physio focussed the ultrasound/suction pads on the arch of my foot for most sessions and yet the pain is still terrible. Even foot raises and exercises to stretch the arch haven’t helped.
The shin splints i can put up with, but each time i’ve tried to play soccer since being treated, the pain has been just as bad, if not worse (due to being out of the habit of playing through pain after not playing in a while). The sum of it all is that my insurance runs out in a couple more sessions and the provider won’t support any further treatment as it will be considered a ‘chronic’ condition. I’m really not sure where to go from here and I don’t have any faith that it’ll get better; I mean, it’s being 6 years and 10 physio sessions. I don’t want to throw any further money at treatment in idle hope. Just wanted to know your opinion on what to do next…?
Sock Doc says
Kinda the reason I wrote this article, specifically the last section: https://sock-doc.com/2013/02/recover-prevent-injuries/
Not really much else I can tell you otherwise. You’ve got years of compensations that need to be dealt with; come to NC if you can/want.
Tracy says
Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed with ‘shin splints’ (posterior type with oedema) and have been told to rest with no running for 6 weeks. The results are based on an MRI scan I got a few days ago. I don’t feel any pain on a day to day basis, I stopped running after feeling the pain on 2 runs about 2 weeks ago so I think I caught it relatively early. I do have quite a sore point (to touch) about 3″ above my inner ankle bone.
The trigger point therapy – do you think it would be ok to put pressure on an area that’s so sensitive? Do you think it would speed up recovery?
Also, you mentioned no stretching. The foot strengthening exercises – when do you recommend these can be started?
Thank you!
Sock Doc says
Please read this; thanks!
https://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-questions-comments/
Claudia Putnam says
Hi,
Can a calf sprain/tear with the attendant swelling cause shin splints a few weeks later as the edema moves down the leg? (Assuming that’s what’s accounting for the bruising and tenderness lower down as the injury site heals.)
Sock Doc says
Yeah but not from the edema but from the original tear; you’re talking two different injuries from the same muscle problem.
Claudia Putnam says
Thanks. The reason I asked was that I didn’t experience any pain this far down or in the front until a week or so later when the pain, swelling, and bruising dropped down in the leg. I’m told by others with injuries higher in the leg that this downward migration is normal with tears higher up, such as hamstring tears (not what I have), as they heal. The blood, fluid, and torn fibers have nowhere to go. So, I’m guessing the swelling puts pressure on the front of the leg as well, on the attachment points? I dunno. The pain reminds me of the shin splints and something else, some other name, I had in high school. It is getting better now. The massage you suggested helped, and also the the swelling is going down and the bruising is diminishing. I ran a little the other day. I can’t stand to run barefoot, or walk barefoot. The soles of my feet have never liked anything touching them, not even hands. Not even blades of grass. I like to trail run, and I like a cushion, but I have never been a heel-firster, and you wouldn’t call what I do running anyhow. More like an accelerated trudge. 🙂 Thanks, though, for the response and the indication of what to do with the triggers.
Gary says
Hi Doc,
I have been getting pain in both legs while running in what I think is my Tib Post (inside of lower leg around 2/3 inches from my ankle).
I’m guessing this is Shin splints?
I play rugby on a regular basis and have been using an Ibroprufon gel rub to ease the pain at the moment.
Sock Doc says
Could be. But really doesn’t matter what you call it. Find the trigger points in the tib post.
Ronnie says
I just recovered from a bout of shin splints that sidelined me for about 6 weeks. I’ve started back up now that the pain and swelling are gone. I’ve been running 3 minutes walking 1 minute for 30 minute stretches. My shin is starting to swell slightly, and if I touch or push it, I can “feel it”. Maybe a 1 or 2 on pain scale. And it is slightly swollen, but there is no pain while running or walking. Do you think it is safe to continue on my normal 3 minutes on 1 minute off routine. I’m doing the routine 6 days a week.
I regularly do trigger point, foam roll, stick, all of that.
I’m currently running in Saucony Virattas, or Saucony Hattori LCs.
Thanks
Sock Doc says
Please read this; thanks!
https://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-questions-comments/
Arthur says
should i be doing lower leg strengthening exercise such as calf raises while i’m having shin splints?
Sock Doc says
Please read this; thanks!
https://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-questions-comments/
Bryce says
Wow! This looks like the most promising thing I have heard in the past 8 months of research to help my poor shins out. I play basketball, and the ground and pound is very tough, and switching to minimalist shoes/xero shoes haven’t helped my shins. How often do you recommend to massage those tender spots?
Sock Doc says
Please read this; thanks!
https://sock-doc.com/sock-doc-questions-comments/
Omkar says
Hi Doc
I am having flat feet problem and suffering from feet pain.., ankle pain, lower back pain whren I walk too much.also shin pains when I run.
Currently using orthotic insoles but thats temporary solution.want get rid of this pain permanently. …is it possible….i am doing towel stretch exercise and tennis ball exercises
Regards
Omkar
Monica Chavez says
You make a great point that over training can result in shin splints. My husband is getting ready to run a half marathon next month, and he’s been training so hard that he has shin splints now. I think he’ll need to see a specialist to get his problem treated so that he can be all ready to run his race in a few weeks.
Wallace Beasley says
I have had (what I assumed was a shin splint) wearing different type shoes, doing 200m sprints. The next day I would get a burning sensation along the shin. After stopping the sprints, the pain would go away and seem to heal but if I did the sprints again, the same pain came back.
Assuming, muscle imbalance, then what strength training exercises, isolate and build up those specific muscles?
Dr. Stephen Gangemi "Sock Doc" says
It’s more about localized treatment of the muscles I discuss in the article as well as making sure gait mechanics are in order (proper footwear could be important here if you’re striking the heel hard).