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In article _75la.419900$S_4.488027@rwcrnsc53 said:At the two mile mark of today's run, it became all too clear: I'm injured. My shin hurt with every
step while walking back, so I guess I'm done for a while. Sweet. I'm not sure whether I'll try
rest only or what. Perhaps if I'm still feeling soreness walking in a few days I'll be off to the
doctor. I have some new shin stretches to try, but I'm not sure if I'll make things worse or not
right now.
Why couldn't this have happened in the fall?
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Susan
Hall) said:A woman friend at work with no athletic background, not overweight, recently moved and has been
walking the 4 km home every day from work. She was enjoying it a lot, but within just a week or
two, has developed what I think are shin splints in just one leg. It's right on the front of the
shin. She has proper walking shoes, I think. The pain is only present during the walk and subsides
within 15-20 minutes after finishing.
So far, she has kept walking but at a much slower rate, and the pain still comes. I got her to
start icing every day when she gets home. Now the pain has extended down to include the front of
the ankle and a bit into the top of her foot. If this were a beginner's exercise overuse injury, I
would suggest stopping for a week and then resuming slowly, beginning with shorter walks. But she
has no other transport to get home.
Any ideas on things I should look for, or ask about, relating to her stride? It seems there are
fewer variables to work with in walking than in running. I've wondered if she's raising her toes
too much, or perhaps "clawing" them (trying to grab the ground a la Ozzie). Shoe fit might be
something to look at too, I know, and arch support. Is it even possible to get shin splints so
soon, and from such a light regimen, or could it be something else?
Thanks, Susan
The anterior tibial muscle go right along where you are describing you friend's pain: the front of
the ankle and a bit into the top of her foot and then it goes and inserts as I said about 2 inches
behind the big toe on the inner edge of the foot.
If her arch is dropping it would put stress on the front shin muscle especially if it had tightened
up to protect itself when it was first overused.
One other exercise I have people do is grab the right shin with the left hand so that the finger
tips are in the middle of the shin muscle. With the right hand grab from the other side so the right
hand rest on top of the left hand.
Point the toe up. The shin mucles can be felt tightening. As the foot is relaxed and started to
point down, I push in with the fingertips into the shin like a nut cracker. Do it a number of times
with the idea that it's getting the shin muscle to relax.