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In article <[email hidden]>,
uvadixiechicken said:Hello,
The pair of sneakers that I currently own were purchased
last year...around the beginning of september. I went to a
specialty running store and they watched me run and
determined that i overpronate, so they suggested shoes
with really supportive soles. The last few times that I've
run I've had really bad pains in my shins, which has never
happened to me before. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd
say that I run about 8-10 miles a week. Is it possible
that my sneakers are already worn out and that I may need
new ones? I haven't changed my running habits at
all....any ideas? Thanks!
JM
Here's some folklore that may be of help in understanding
your shin splints. Also if you're running and landing first
on the back of the heel of the shoe, that you're
overstriding and every step is a stop.
Also relax your toes.
In health and on the run, Ozzie Gontang Maintainer -
rec.running FAQ Director, San Diego Marathon Clinic, est.
1975
Mindful Running: mindfulness.commr.aspOpen ↗ faqs.orgrunningOpen ↗
faq/
Some folklore on shin splints and ways to think about what
causes shin splints. A different way to think about shin
splints and some things to do about them.
Healing Shin Splint Folklore and Prevention by Austin
Gontang, September 25, 2000
You can help me get better. I need you to rate my articles
and their usefulness to you. Click the appropriate rating
circle at the bottom of the articles. Your comments are
appreciated and necessary to keep me rethinking my folklore
and continue my lifelong learning. Ozzie
I continue to believe that the shin spints come more from
the overstride and the deceleration and then the overstretch
of the shin which should be relaxing but hasn't had time. It
is then being stretched by the contracting calf muscle. For
me I define an overstride as landing on the back of the heel
of the shoe. If I were jumping up and down, I would never
land on the heels of my shoes nor on my heels if I were
barefoot. So why run landing on the heels...and by this I
mean the back of the heels if one were barefoot.
For me the image remains that as I place my foot under my
center of gravity, the rest of my body is catapulted forward
from that platform. This means that the calf contracting
isn't pushing the entire body weight forward. The body
weight has been catapulted forward by the glut/ham on the
planted foot(the platform), the thrust forward of the
elbow/shoulder of the platform side and the quad/psoas of
the leg coming through to conterbalance the torque of the
platform side.
Anyway here, as you mentioned would show up in a few days,
some of the shin splint folklore which I have shared with
several thousand people over the past 2 decades. In case you
didn't see the post above or didn't get others on your ISP,
I've compiled them:
Shin Splint Folklore by Ozzie
c. 2000 Austin "Ozzie" Gontang, Ph.D.
Folklore #1
Shin splints are from the posterior and anterior tibilis
getting tight and holding on and not letting go. Every
step becomes a pain in the shins when running. Remember
that the problem may be the calf muscles which means the
shins have to work against muscles which only partially
relax putting all kinds of strain on the shin. See article
mentioned in #3 below.
As you run, walk, let your toes relax. Often going up on the
toes means the shin is being elongated...and if it is tight
and holding on, the calves have to overcome the tightness in
the shins...gradually the shins from being overstretched,
tighten even more...and then your body realizes that it is
even difficult to walk.
As you stand during your day practice standing so that you
can wiggle your toes at all times. Lean forward and notice
how the toes dig in. That posture can also be a problem
spot for the shins which get chronically tight and the
running when the shins should be relaxing...that is when
the calves are contracting...the shins only partially relax
and the pain is that of ripping a muscle that doesn't want
to let go.
The ultimate muscle though which we have all passed goes
from 0 cm to 10 cm. Now you realize the need to focus on
relaxing as the crown pushes against that muscle attempting
to force it to go to 10 cm too quickly. Breathing and
relaxing can relax against that pressure. For the shins,
it's also teaching the shins to let go. Everyone (except a
few of us) attempt to strengthen and make the shin stronger
rather than release the tightened and bound shin muscles.
Folklore #2
Get on all fours on a carpeted floor with the feet off the
edge of a step. Place a tennis ball under one anterior
tibialis. Keep most of the weight on the other knee and
hands. Move foot easily up and down as you put more pressure
on the tennis ball and roll it slowly over the belly of the
shin muscle. Do the other foot the same way. See which foot
is giving you the most pain.
Folklore #3a
See mindfulness.comof1.aspOpen ↗. Face the railing.
Turn the feet and entire body so that it is 45 degrees to
the bar. Place the anterior shin over the bar so that the
shin muscle and NOT the shin bone rest on the rail. If rail
is too high, use the middle rail. Slowly make a small circle
with the foot and slowly slide the shin down the railing. Do
once or twice and then switch, facing the rail but turning
45 degrees in the other direction to do your other shin.
Remember if you go too hard, too fast, too much, you'll
only end up causing added problems as your muscle will
tighten up even more to protect itself from your intensity.
Go for the grace.
Also remember that folklore means that if something doesnt'
work for you, give it no power or energy but rather find
someone who makes sense and whose folklore works for you.
Folklore #3b
One thing I've found over the years is that the peroneus,
the muscle which runs down the outside of the leg - it
everts the outside of the foot - often gets pulled and to
protect itself it tightens- i.e. shortens. After the
healing of the ligaments around the ankle, that peroneus
(longus and medius portion) can remain in its semi-
contracted state. which means it doesn't fully relax when
the posterior tibialis - its counterpart - lifts the inside
of the foot up.
Way to loosen it with someone else helping.
Have your partner start about 3 inches above the ankle
bone. Hold as if you are going to strangle - fingers wrap
around the lower leg, thumbs pointing toward each other
or one thumb rests on the other thumb (if more pressure
is desired).
Have your partner use light pressure by pushing in with
theirthumbs as you make a small (emphasis on small), smooth
(emphasis on smooth) circle. As you makes small smooth
circles with the foot your partner strangling your leg,
slowly slides the thumbs up the peroneus muscle.
The idea is that you can loosen the muscle from any
adhesions and also you can loosen up the fascia which may be
holding the peroneus from relaxing and going through it full
range of motion.
Usually after 3 or 4 times of small circles and your partner
holding, walk. More often than not, you'll feel less
pressure around the ankle as it can move more freely due to
the freeing of the peroneus higher up the leg...which takes
the tightness off the ankle area.
The peroneus and posterior tibialis are often called stirrup
muscles as they invert and evert the foot. They are also
postural muscles and therefore slow twitch, in that they
help maintain correct posture when functioning properly.
To do the same thing, face a railing with a middle railing
(see picture from web site). Turn your body 45 degrees and
place the peroneus side of the leg on the bar, usually the
lower is better unless you're very tall. Do the same foot
movement as mentioned above to loosen the peroneus and the
fascia which may be constricting the ankle for its full
range of motion.
Get back to us and let us know how it works. The web site
picture where I have a group of people using the railing to
loosen the belly of the calf muscle, gives you an idea of
how to use the railing. The railing you want to use is the
middle railing: mindfulness.comof1.aspOpen ↗
Folklore #3c
Quoted message said:I have for the last couple of weeks had a pain just above
my right inside
ankle. If I hold up my leg and roll my foot to the inside,
it causes the ankle to hurt. Snip-----
If I had that pain I'd look first to see if the posterior
tibialis had tightened up in response to the hill work.
Second, I'd have the "deep tissue cross friction
message" read: "Please do some work on my peroneus,
especially the longus; and show me a few ways of how I
might do that myself."
Quoted message said:From what you've said, I'd look at my form to see where I
was landing on my
foot. I have been a strong proponent for ball/heel or
midsole landing. That way I know that there is no
overstride. Probably you're getting some overstride in you
heavy workout, which causes the braking effect and causes
the problem you mention.
Folklore #4
I'd look at the posterior tibialis, that muscle behind the
shin bone on the inside.
1. You are seated
2. Left leg crossed on right thigh so outside of left
leg rests on right thigh about 3 or 4 inches above
right knee.
3. place right thumb below left shin bone closest to you so
it rests on the posterior tibialis
4. Right hand rest on the shin bone.
5. Place the left hand next to the right hand on the
shin bone so that the left thumb rests on top of the
right thumb.
6. Make small (emphasis on small) and smooth (emphasis on
smooth) circles with the left foot so there is no
(spelled NO) jerkiness - otherwise you're just
straining tendon.
7. As you make the circle and the left toe goes downward,
push in with the thumbs. With each circle move the
thumbs about a quarter of an inch further up the leg.
8. Find the spot that creates most pain and push more
lightly at that spot so as not to create excrutiating
pain and then move thumbs away first upward and then
away downward, pushing harder so that you can feel the
muscle under your thumbs let go.
9. If you push too hard, go too fast, wince the face, stop
breathing because of the pain, go too deep, you'll get
the reverse of what you want.
10. What you want is that posterior tibialis to let go so
that your circle can move easily. Usually if it is
bruised, the blood came from up above where the
muscle tear took place and gravity let it settle
where the bruise
is.
11. You'd like also to make sure that the posterior tibialis
is not flush up again the shin bone. There should be
some space where your thumb can go up that groove
between the posterior shin muscle and the shin bone.
Orgradually work to get it back, since if it's not there,
then your shin is holding and probably the fascia won't
allow the muscle to go through its range of motion and also
the micro tears of the muscle or at the muscle tendon
junction of the posterior shin muscle has scarred and also
decreases the range of motion for the posterior shin.
Let us know how it goes and what you learn so that we can
all learn if my folklore worked for you, or was just
folklore that needed to be discarded because it didn't work.
Good luck with your experiment of one. Also during my
training runs I often stop and work shins, calves, haves and
quads loose so that my training run might be broken up by 10
or 12 stops to massage out or rub out the sore spots.
Check out the two articles listed and especially the
pictures. I can use almost anything along my running path to
assist me as a tool to release or massage tight muscles:
mindfulness.comof1.aspOpen ↗
mindfulness.comof5.aspOpen ↗
