Tis the season: For many, this is the time to get outside and enjoy the wonderful spring weather. Here in New England, it really can't be beat. The days are warm(ish), humidity is non-existent for now, and the sun is going down later. As much as I love the fall and winter, this time of year is truly conducive for all of my outdoor activities.
For many, this means a return to running, starting to run, or transitioning to run outside after being on a treadmill(eek) during the winter.
This is also the season for running races. On any given weekend in the spring, you can hop into numerous races of differing distances. Five kilometers are the most popular, but there are also many iterations of adventure-style races. An absolute constant with warmer weather and running training is a steep uptick in injuries.
One of the more common injuries is shin splints. The immediate assumption with shin splints is that micro-fractures are developing in the anterior part of the tibia. These cases are much rarer than you think and are more common in pre-teen and teenage females. Some also experience shin splints on the medial (inner ) side of the tibia just above the ankles. There are a whole host of contributing factors that lead to these ailments, but the general issue is poor running mechanics. Recently, I met with someone who was suffering from shin splints and the issue is limited mobility in dorsiflexion (pointing the toes up), which is caused from tight calves and weak anterior tibialis (the muscles in front of the shin), as well as lack of knee lift. This is a commonality that I've seen with many new runners.
Many new runners also are told to "start off easy" and to "not run fast". While these indications are well-intentioned, they lead many people into issues. I won't bore you with these details here, but you can take a peek at them from a previous article:
If you happen to be unfortunate enough to suffer from what you believe to be shin splits, I gotchu covered! Here are some things to help you out. Complete these drills prior to running!
Stretch your calves- You don't need any fancy equipment for this, just a wall or even a stair. If a wall, get as much of the ball of your foot onto the wall while keeping the heel on the ground. This may be a massive stretch in itself. If not, rock forward into it. While standing on a step, drop the heel off of the step and lean forward. Adding bend to the knee will transfer that stretch lower into the achilles.
Roll your shins- You can do this on a foam roller, but to really "get in there", I prefer a different approach. Use a tool such at the P-Knot (we have these in stock!) or a stick. When rolling the shin, focus the pressure just slightly to the outside of the shin(on the anterior tibialis muscle), not the bone.
Strengthen your feet (Towel/ Shirt Drill)- By now you should be well aware of the barefoot training boom that still resides today. Most viewed it as quasi-revolutionary. Most of us do not have the adequate foot strength to run, and many related ailments are attributed to weak feet. When I started my running career 27 years ago, part of our warmup was a series of barefoot drills meant to strengthen the feet (mind blowing!).
Take a towel or a shirt and lay it out flat on the ground. While keeping the heel down, try to gather it all up. This will surprise you!
Anchor a band to a stationary object and wrap it around the top of the toes. Keeping the toes flexed, extend and flex at the ankle as far back possible. The limit of flexion it determined by your calf tightness. I would suggest do this drill cold, then complete the aforementioned calf stretches and then try it again to see if there is a difference.
* These are remedies to help you alleviate some of the symptoms and discomfort of shin splints. You should be assessed and screened for any movement dysfunctions, or limitations, and you have to have your running gate analyzed by someone such as myself!