What to do about shin splints

SmilingParent

5-Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
39
Friends son heading to Academy soon seems to be developing shin splints from all the running. Yikes! Is this terrible? What should he do?:frown:
 
Just a quick answer that worked for my son:

1) shin "braces" (ugly huge black things) that support the shins through the worst of the pain,

2) arch supports for shoes and boots (for some kids, work like magic!).
 
The sports medicine physician told my son rest and ice for a month. He also had him increase his stretching time before he ran. He sent us to a runners' specialty store where he was fitted with the proper type of shoe for his foot. Made all the difference in the world.
 
He sent us to a runners' specialty store where he was fitted with the proper type of shoe for his foot.

#1 piece of advice I give to any patient I see who is doing some regular running and comes in complaining of pretty much any lower extremity pain.

1)A running store is muy importante in getting into the right shoe. It's not a matter of Nike vs Adidas vs Brooks vs whatever, it's a matter of stability vs motion control vs neutral.

2)Change your shoes: Running shoes should be changed about every 4 mos or 300 miles or so. Doubt most people do that.

3)Do not, do not, do not, put any type of insole into a running shoe. You're setting yourself up for disaster unless a podiatrist, sports physician, etc told you and issued you the things specifically for your running shoes (they probably never will though, hint hint). Putting this in your shoe totally alters the mechanics of the interaction between the shoe and foot... See rule #1

Overuse injuries (eg shin splints, patellofemoral pain) only heal by one way...decreasing use. Prevention is key, and the proper equipment is the first step.
 
Interesting - I'd never heard that about running shoes before (not to use inserts) and will have to stop doing that!

One question along the same lines though would be would you still recommend insoles in combat boots? At AF they do a lot of running with them on, especially now on the T-zo where they run the strips to and from classes - at least a few days a week in ABU's and combat boots. My son was really having trouble with his heels during Beast and got some good insoles for his boots. I'm assuming it would still be good to keep him in there, since they don't have the same technology as running shoes?
 
To be honest I probably can't give you the "right" answer regarding insoles in combat boots that one runs in.

My best answer would be to leave them in if they aren't causing problems, because in the long run one is probably walking in them more than running. The distance they are running in boots is also likely considerably less than when wearing running shoes. Overall those boots are horrible for running in anyway.
 
Back
Top