London Marathon Looming - have i got shin splints???
4 watchers
Mar 2012
2:34pm, 13 Mar 2012
29 posts
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Slow Sam
I started training for the London Marathon, in October last year, after having a couple of years off running and having a baby. Up until Christmas everything was fine, however after Christmas, once I started upping the miles and concentrating on speed work, i started with a niggle on the inside of my leg, where the shin bone connects to the calf (IYKWIM??) I took a week off in February as my right leg started with the same niggle and now both shins proper hurt! I went to the Doctor, who said it didn't sound like shin splints and advised ibuprofen and deep heat.... I've just come back from a 4 mile run and they're killing me... So, what do I do?? I can't see how I can have a couple of weeks off to see if it heals, so do I just muddle through until its taper time?? Any help is appreciated, as its really putting me off my running! |
Mar 2012
3:22pm, 13 Mar 2012
5,863 posts
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Mrs Winkle
Get yourself to a sports injury physio for an assessment. 
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Mar 2012
9:57pm, 13 Mar 2012
110 posts
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slowmarc-belfast
hows your trainers mate maybe there done! i suffer form shins splints for years weight, trainers, to many miles and overpronating.. any one of these could give you splints 2 will defiantly give you them
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Mar 2012
6:51am, 14 Mar 2012
30 posts
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Slow Sam
Thanks a lot for the replied, appreciated! Think a sports injury bod is my next step. Massage guy will be in office when i get in this morning, will ask him for the number for someone! I've had my shoes checked twice and they're ok, been advised to try sorbothane double strike insoles, which i now have, but its getting worse. I run with guys in the office, so think they've been caused by trying to keep up with them, although Im now training on my own again. Could hardly walk this morning, but don't want to have to pull out of London! Why can't i enjoy a run with no pain?! |
Mar 2012
7:29am, 14 Mar 2012
5,338 posts
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richmac
Yes you do have shin splints, the 'classic symptomns' your doctor well. Look the only real cure is total rest, but other things you can give a try to are icing, good sports massage, yoga, cut back the mileage. I found that compression socks aggravate the situation others say the opposite so if you wear them try a run without & vice versa. If the pain really is that bad, ie is agony when you start but go's away mid run then is really bad when you finish then it could be the dreaded stress fracture in which case, if your GP won't refer you present at A&E. Either way you need to know. Good luck with it. |
Mar 2012
10:02am, 14 Mar 2012
First-time poster!!
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Littleme
I've got exactly the same thing in exactly the same place. I'm a year into my injury (sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear). I've had stress fractures on both legs (diagnosed by MRI) and still struggling with various pains, the latest one is the same one you have. I was at a University Sports Clinic this week and he's explained 'this' pain for me as very loose ankle joints which allow my foot to roll in quite a lot when I land, splatting my foot inwards, pulling the tendons that run under my foot and up the inside of my leg to that exact spot between shin bone and calf. I'm having some custom orthotics made but it's not as simple as that and I don't think it can ever be as simple as sticking a pair of innersoles in. I have a year of different opinions and a myriad of different exercises and stretches to do from my waist down. I would agree that you need to see a good sports physio as asap. Do you have a university near you that perhaps has a sports injury clinic? Failing that, get a recommendation from other runners, see who they used and who fixed their problems. Do it today, don't put it off and see how you get on. In the meantime it's the same old advise as richmac has given you. Ice it, ibuprofen (not because you can't bear the pain but because if you've inflamed stuff then you need to help it reduce and protect the other tissues around it), rest (I know I know) and a sports massage to loosen anything tight which is pulling your lower legs. A good sports physio with listen, understand and look after you. In my experience, GPs and even hospital consultants will tell you to have 6-8 weeks of rest and wave you through the door (or look at you like you just sprouted antlers when you try to explain that you actually like running!) but you will still need to see the NHS guys to get referrals for either xrays, MRI scans etc so keep in both loops if you can. So get on the phone, get an expert who can assess you, see how you stand, walk, move and run. Have a good massage to loosen the tight stuff, get some information on stretching and strengthening, see if you need orthotics or to change your shoes. Ice, ibuprofen and REST. Good luck! |
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Mar 2012
12:06pm, 14 Mar 2012
31 posts
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Slow Sam
Thank you all... I'm just back from A&E, with a prescription for 500mg x 2 Co-Codamol four times a day!!! Had an xray, no stress fracture, so really pleased with that. Have sports massage every three weeks and i've just asked sports massage guy if he can recommend a physio. In the meantime i'll have a google, see if I can find a sports injury clinic near me, as I really dont want to have to pull out of London. Thanks again! |
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Mar 2012
12:06pm, 14 Mar 2012
5,341 posts
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richmac
^^^ Bloody hell ! Littleme a year!!! sounds like my saga! have a look back through my blogs from August last year on!
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Mar 2012
12:23pm, 14 Mar 2012
449 posts
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Pedro_Perez
Welcome to Fetch Littleme and get well soon! Slow Sam, I would ALWAYS recomend getting checked out by a pro but the good news is that if its the same type of splints I had you can tape them up and carry on, I did a whole summers worth of running with the taping and would swear by it BUT I cant stress how important a proper diagnosis of you problem is, I may be giving you the wrong advise for you injury. Anyway, check this out and do a google for shin splint taping. richwoodstrack.com The relief it gave me was amazing BUT I have never run a marathon and mostly stick to 10k's, Half's and the odd game of Rugby. All the best. |
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Mar 2012
2:35pm, 15 Mar 2012
2 posts
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Littleme
Thanks for the welcomes (richmac, seems like you've been struggling for months too, so frustrating isn't it?!) How's it feeling today SlowSam? I'm glad they don't think it's a stress fracture, hate to mention (but have to) that they often don't show in xrays and it takes an MRI scan to see them but hopefully they'll be working from your symptoms and pain rather than just the results of an xray.. What's good is that you're not ignoring warning signs. Any of us who have had SFs or MTSS probably wish that we'd taken the niggles seriously at first instead of putting up with it, trying to run through it and thinking that it would go away. Hope you get some joy from your physio and that you can get some help to get you through the marathon, fingers crossed for you! |
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