Chanhassen Personal Trainer Answers,

I'd like to address an all-to-common and painful question:

What are shin splints and what can I do about them?

If you've ever dealt with shin splints you know they just flat out suck! They hurt like hell and can be a real hindrance on your exercise program.

First, let's figure out what the heck they are.

Shin splints are technically medial tibial syndrome. To keep it basic, shin splints are painful inflammation of the muscles around the shins, and they're frequent among runner. However, with more and more people getting into exercise, shin splints are becoming more common especially among overweight individuals.

The exact injury actually isn't known, but the most common theory points to "overuse" of the tendons and adjacent tissues in the front of the outer lower leg. Overuse of the lower leg muscles sounds kind of ridiculous when you think about it. Too much walking sounds like an oxymoron.

The reality is, the overuse occurs because the muscles are not properly balanced or stretched due to our very sedentary lifestyles which includes a lot of sitting and driving. This causes shortening of the muscles in the lower leg. Then when we try to engage in exercise the shortened muscles and tendons get overworked.

Now, before I go on, there are indeed more serious cases of shin splints which require full diagnosis and treatment by a professional. HOWEVER, this is typically seen among long endurance athletes. The average person who, by the way, is most likely overweight, suffers from "shin splits" as a result of going from doing nothing to something in the form of exercise. The sudden increase in intensity and range of motion placed on the lower leg causes inflammation and pain.

So, what can you do about it if you're trying to get serious about exercise but you're dealing with shin splints?

First and foremost, YOU CAN'T GO CHEAP ON SNEAKERS. You're sneakers, or tennis shoes as my MN friends call them, are your most important piece of fitness equipment. Don't even think about just walking into a foot locker and picking out what's cool!

You need to go to a running store with people who are trained in selecting the proper shoe for you. They'll watch you walk and run. Some places will put you on a treadmill and video tape your feet. They're doing what's called a gait analysis. These people are highly skilled and will help you get the right shoe for you. There number one rule: YOU CAN'T PICK A SHOE BY IT'S COLOR!

Once you've got the right shoes, the next thing to do is make sure you do a proper warm-up and stretch before you exercise. And, NO, walking on a treadmill is not a warm-up!

I personally recommend using a foam roller on the front and back of your lower leg for a few minutes. I'd also hit the front, side and back of the thighs and finish off with the glutes and hip flexors as well. You can pick up a foam roller at your local sporting goods store, however DON'T GO CHEAP ON A FOAM ROLLER! It'll just wear out and turn into a useless floppy noodle. A good one will cost you about $40 for a 3-footer and $20 for a 1-footer. I like the 3-footer because you can do both legs at the same time and it works great on the upper body as well.

After working the foam roller for a little bit, I'd do a more dynamic warm-up such as a light jog or some calisthenics, followed by some static stretching of the calf muscles and anterior tibialis. The simplest stretch is hanging your heels off the back of a step to hit the back of the calves. To stretch the anterior tibialis, front of the lower leg, pull your toes away from you. You can do this with a partner or just by "dragging" your forefoot on the ground.

Next, there a few strengthening exercises that you can do to build up the muscles of the lower leg and help prevent shin splints from coming back. Calf raises and toe raises work well. I personally use a resistance band for these. I prefer the increasing tension and the control the resistance band provides. However, two great no-equipment exercises are calf raises using a step and walking on your heals. Try alternating these two exercises for 20 - 30 seconds back and forth for a couple minutes. That will really get the lower leg burning and help build up some muscular endurance. Just before to stretch when you're done.

Finally, if while you're dealing with the pain of shin splints, use the R.I.C.E method. Remember, R.I.C.E. stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. So, after you've finished exercising, wrap those shins with ice, kick-back and put your feet up. :-)

Oh yeah, one more thing. GET UP AND MOVE AROUND THROUGHOUT THE DAY! Loosen up those legs and burn a few calories while you're at it.

Have Faith & Take Action!

Justin Yule, B.S., CPT