Thursday, February 12, 2015

The runners trick to curing shin splints


So when I started up running again this last year after a 2 year hiatus is discovered some pains that I had never experienced before. I discovered the pain commonly referred to as shin splints. Considering I went six years of running never experiencing this pain I really had no idea what to do, so I did what many people do and I looked up to see what it said online that can help prevent shin splints or make them less painful. When I was looking at it online the main thing that they said was to decrease your mileage and if it doesn't go away to see medical help because it could turn into something worse if it isn't taken care of, but there were also some things that lots of people do to prevent shin splints.
These are some of the tricks that I, and people I know have tried and found that will help with shin splints.
  1. Change worn out running shoes for new ones. Admittedly this is one that I have never really been good about keeping to, but it is important that your shoe can support you while you are running.
  2. Stretch your calf muscles. One thing that contributes to shin splints is tight calf muscles. Be sure to stretch your calf muscles 2 to 3 times a day for about 30 seconds each time.
  3. Do front leg exercises. This helps in prevention, but it also helps to ease the pain. Some front leg exercises that you could do are: 
    • Heel walking
    • Toe lifts 
    • Tapping your feet
    • Writing the alphabet with your feet in the air

     4. Running on grass. This helps to take away some of the pounding that may be causing your shin splints in the first place.
    5. Rolling them out. Or giving them a good massage.
    6. Rest Ice Compression Elevation. Everyone says this, and it does work. The key is the resting part. This can be really hard for runners. My sister has had shin splints before in high school when she was running she told me that she prefers to ice, then immediately after use heat. I'm not sure if it works, but it is supposed to feel good.
What tricks do you use to get rid of shin splints? Do you have experience with these methods? Which one works the best for you?
For more articles like this one check out these websites.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/shin-splints?page=1
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise/how-to-get-rid-of-shin-splints?page=1
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/9-ways-to-combat-shin-splints?page=2

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