Shin Splints
 

I've had pretty bad shin splints for a few months now. It's not my shoes, I just got new Brooks running shoes. I've put off running, jumping rope, and jump training for two weeks in the hopes that my shin splints will be gone. Until then I'm pretty limited in the cardio I can do, only walking and stair climbing.

Anyway, anyone have any experience with long-lasting shin splints? How long would you think you'd have to rest before they go away?

Hmmmm, if this is an ongoing problem, maybe you should have it checked out. I get them every now and them. I ice them, take some ibuprofen and have a day of rest, and they usually go away the day after the rest day.

Diva gave you good advice. I just wanted to tell you that it really could be the shoes. I wore Brooks running shoes when I first started running and they worked REALLY well for me. When I got the second pair of the exact same shoes, I had all sorts of problems. I went to a doctor, who sent me to a pedorthist to fit me for some shoes. He made special inserts for me and put me in a different kind of shoe and I haven't had a problem since. You can have the nicest running shoes in the world but if they're wrong for your feet they're useless. And we often don't realize they're wrong for us until we have pain -- that's what happened to me. So don't rule out the shoes as a cause.

But yeah..ice them and rest for a few days and then see how you feel. Shin splints are horrible! I hope you feel better soon!!

If its lasted for a couple months and you have tried new shoes it is time for a podiatrist and possibly physical therapy.

DH gets them pretty badly when he ups his mileage too fast. They seem to be only solved (for him) by more-or-less complete switch to low- or no-impact activity. I've had other friends suddenly develop them after adding new elements to a running program, like track-based speedwork for example. My podiatrist has recommended skipping any hilly runs to minimize them.

Among other things, they can be caused by stress reactions in the bone which can turn into stress fractures over time, which will put you off your feet for at least 6-8 weeks, so I'd recommend taking care of them sooner rather than later.

Anne