How to Get Rid Of Shin Splints Forever

Shin splints are no laughing matter, far from it, and if you have ever suffered with them you will know this only too well…

Unfortunately, the majority of shin splints sufferers around the globe use the same treatments to get rid of shin splints, these consist of resting up, applying ice packs and the use of pain killers…if this sounds familiar, then you will also know that none of these treatments work in the long term, sure they offer temporary relief from the discomfort and pain of shin splints but, if it is a long term solution you are looking for, then these treatments are definitely not the answer!

The conventional treatments mentioned above will never help you learn how to get rid of shin splints simply because they are all treatments that will only lessen pain, and pain is only one of the shin splints symptoms, not the actual cause.

I used nothing but the traditional shin splints treatments for years until I realized that if I wanted to be totally free of shin splints and run as I used to before I suffered with them, then I would have to find and treat the underlying cause of the problem.

You have to understand that although pain is only a symptom, it is also a very important message from your body that shouldn’t be ignored as it is a warning that something isn’t right… Basically, your body is using the only way it can to alert you of an underlying condition…ignoring those warning signs and only treating the pain itself will never provide you with the lasting relief you want.

It’s not all bad news, because correcting the underlying cause of shin splints is remarkably easy and the resulting improvements are instantaneous and permanent.

It all boils down to understanding the underlying problems that are causing your shin splints in the first place, and once you know them, treating them becomes your highest priority.

There is a great e-book that covers the topic of eliminating shin splints completely and it is called “Stop Shin Splints Forever”…

‘Stop Shin Splints Forever‘, explains very simply the easiest and most practical methods to use in order to pinpoint what is causing your shin splints and then provide you with a proven plan for treating those specific causes, thus restoring your body to the way it was before you were suffering frequently with shin splints. The strategy is extremely simple to implement and it is far more effective in eliminating shin splints completely than anything I’ve ever seen or used.

So…

If you are fed up of painful bouts of shin splints stopping you from enjoying your favorite activity and you are ready to learn how to get rid of shin splints for good and therefore experience healthy, pain-free shins, once again, then CLICK HERE for more information.

However, in the meantime, if you would like more information on initial treatment for your shin splints to relieve the discomfort then the following posts will be very beneficial:

• Shin Splints Treatment
• Shin Splints Stretches
• How to Get Rid of Shin Splints Pain In As Little As 15 Minutes

Have a great shin splint free day!

Danny

NYC Marathon:

November 6 2011..Good Luck to All!

The NYC Marathon is one of the world’s most well known road races and one that attracts more than 100,000 applicants, 2 million spectators and a televised global audience of 315 million.

I will take this early opportunity to wish any of my readers who are taking part this year all the very best of luck especially any barefoot runners!

Whether you are running as a hardened athlete or running to raise funds for your chosen charity, it matters not…embrace the day and enjoy every single stride!

For those of you who are curious about the history of the NYC Marathon here are a few details:

A Brief History of the NYC Marathon

The first New York marathon was held in 1970 and attracted a very modest 127 runners of which only 55 finished, the vast majority of the course was in central New York, specifically Central Park!

Six years later, Marathon co-founder Fred Lebow redrew the course to run through all the boroughs of New York. Lebow’s intention was to increase interest and attention in the marathon, he succeeded, 2090 runners started the race including double Olympic marathon medalist Frank Shorter. The media were also gaining interest in the race and it was covered by reporters and television for the first time.

In 1978, when running was becoming an increasingly popular activity, participation in the New York Marathon had increased to more than 9,000 and it also produced it’s first world record when the Norwegian athlete Grete Waitz set a women’s marathon world record, when she finished in 2:32:30.

Participation increased and records were consistently broken over the years.

In 2000 the NYC Marathon added an official wheelchair division and is now one of the world’s most competitive marathons for wheelchair bound competitors.

In the 2010 marathon a new record was achieved…47,000….the most ever finishers.

Is the 2011 ING NYC Marathon going to beat that?

I sincerely hope so…and I am also confident that the NYC Marathon will continue to grow in reputation and size and will continue to be the world leader in city marathon events for a long time to come.

And by the way…Don’t let shin splints hinder your NYC Marathon performance, you can always come back and learn how to get rid of shin splints for good here!

Good luck to all!  Danny

What Should You Expect When Making the Transition to Barefoot Running?

Barefoot Running is becoming more and more popular although I have to admit that I am not yet tempted to try it out for myself. There are those for and those against barefoot running and I can understand the arguments from both sides so…I have definitely got splinters in my backside on this subject as I am neither for nor against it.

If you haven’t guessed already, the whole idea of this site is to deal with the problem of shin splints or, to be more exact, how to get rid of shin splints, therefore It would be irresponsible of me not to write about running barefoot, especially as there are those who believe that barefoot running will alleviate the pain experienced with fallen arches as well as problems like plantar faciitis, runner’s knee and, of course, shin splints.

Firstly, as I have already stated, I have not been ‘turned’ to barefoot running, so the information I will provide below is not based on my personal experiences but it has been gathered from sources that I trust, so make of that what you will!

What is Barefoot Running?

I will avoid all the hype about ‘going back to our roots’ and leave that to those who come over as barefooted evangelists! What I will tell you is that there are two distinct variations of running barefoot…true barefoot running (without shoes) and minimalist running (wearing footwear with very little protection and padding).

Why Run Barefoot?

Running barefoot dramatically alters the way we run. In padded running shoes more impact goes through the heel and the back of the foot whereas when running barefoot the lateral edge of the leading foot strikes first.

Many believe the change in running form from running shoes to barefoot is healthier for your feet and greatly reduces injuries such as plantar faciitis (heel strike) and shin splints. However, those opposed to barefoot running argue that there is little in the way of research to back up these claims and even less to say barefoot running is actually easier on your body than running in shoes.

The overriding factor as I see it, and this is only my opinion, is that barefoot running is how our ancestors ran and therefore doesn’t require evidence to back it up, whereas there is no scientific research to back up the claims of specialist running shoe companies that their designs are the better option so the ball is in their court!

The vast majority of running injuries, including shin splints, are caused by bad running form with heel strike in particular being one of the main protagonists. Therefore I would have to conclude that running barefoot or at least running in minimalist footwear would definitely reduce cases of plantar faciitis, over pronation and to some degree shin splints.

The Transition from Running Shoe to Barefoot

This is my personal stumbling block, especially as I already know how to get rid of shin splints permanently, and have never had a problem with pain in my heels. Therefore, because I’m running pain free and without any problems I don’t feel enough of a pull to make this transition myself, however…you may want to give it a try!

The other factor that should be considered is that there will be some pain and discomfort, and possibly injuries, during the transition because your running technique will go through a dramatic change and you will also be using muscles in your feet that you have never used before. If you think about it, the majority of us have been wearing shoes since we took our first tentative steps, the vast majority of those steps having been made on a flat surface…it is therefore wise to presume that there will be a painful learning curve for our bodies if we simply switched from one to the other overnight.

In other words…if you feel like barefoot running is something you want to try, do so wisely and tentatively, easing your transition to a more natural running style.

If you are determined to try barefoot running or to go ‘minimalist’ then perhaps checking out these products below may be useful to you.

What is Over Pronation and Why Does it Cause Shin Splints?

There is one possible cause of shin splints that gets over-looked more than any other and that is over pronation. If you have a pronation problem you will definitely want to know how to get rid of shin splints because the likelihood is that you will suffer with them frequently. Under pronation is less common and is less likely to cause shin splints but can also cause injuries to the knee, foot and hip and will be covered in a future post.

Pronation is defined as the motion of the foot upon making contact with the ground. Normal pronation is when the outside of the heel touches the ground first and the foot rolls inwards which is normally between a 4 to 6 percent rotation, rotation of less than or greater than these percentages will more than likely lead to a number of problems.

Over Pronation

Excessive over pronation is a major cause of shin splints and heel pain and is often referred to as flat feet.

There are many reasons why over pronation may occur, some individuals may have been unfortunate enough to have been born with flat feet, but there are also several other more common explanations for why people suffer with over pronation.

1. Wear and tear of the foot muscles: Muscles will undoubtedly weaken over time because of aging or overuse. The weakening of muscles, in particular those of the foot, will cause the foot to turn inwards – over pronation.

2. Ladies take note…high heels are not good!: Walking in and even standing on high heels for long periods of time puts undue strain and pressure on the foot which will eventually weaken the muscles on the sole of the foot.

3. Wearing shoes that provide inadequate arch support: This is generally the most common reason for the development of over pronation. Continually wearing footwear that doesn’t provide the required amount of arch support will eventually lead to over pronation.

Symptoms of Over Pronation

The symptoms of over pronation are pain through the arch of the foot, instability, heel and ankle pain and of course shin splints. Knee, hip and back pain will also follow should the over pronation be left uncorrected.

Treatment for Over Pronation

The treatment for over pronation can be as simple as simply providing adequate arch support. This support can be provided by wearing supportive shoes which can be specifically made for the individual although this can be expensive. A much easier and far more affordable yet equally as effective treatment for over pronation is the use of orthotic shoe inserts which is the preferred option for many people (you can check out some orthotic shoe inserts and running shoes specifically designed to give orthotic support below).

There are also many other forms of treatment, such as night splints and taping, that may provide good results, but you may end up spending more than you would have done if you bought orthotic inserts and with lesser results overall.

How to find out if you suffer from over pronation

Finding out whether or not you suffer from over pronation is one of the main steps in learning how to get rid of shin splints. An easy method of checking for this condition is the wet foot test.

Simply place a shallow tray of water on the floor and an old newspaper or better still a brown paper bag bigger than the size of your foot in front of it. Place your foot in the water and then stand on the paper. If you compare the wet impression of your foot to the image below you will know if you have an over pronating foot or not, it’s as simple as that!

1. Over Pronation 2. Under Pronation 3. Normal Pronation

Have a great shin splints free day

Danny

PS: Did you check out my previous post about treadmills and shin splints?

Are Shin Splints More Likely When Using a Treadmill or When Road Running?

Today, I am not going to write about how to get rid of shin splints, instead I am going to delve into the subject of treadmills and whether they are an effective alternative to, and whether they are more likely to cause shin splints than road running.

There’s no denying the popularity of the treadmill, go to any gym and there will be a rows of them everywhere…all in use! What is difficult to understand is that there is usually a road right outside the entrance of the gym which is completely free to use…so why would people prefer to part with there hard earned cash rather than hit the tarmac?

There are a number of factors why many individuals choose treadmills over road running, here are the main four:

1. There is no need to worry about the weather.
2. There is little chance of being mugged or attacked whilst running.
3. You do not need to worry about pedestrians, cyclists or cars!
4. The cushioned running track is easier on your knee joints which in turn lessens the likelihood of running injuries.

Having written these four factors down I can, from a personal point of view, understand why people would choose to use a treadmill over hitting the roads, however…although the first three seem valid enough, I think a closer look at the fourth factor is worthwhile and to do that we must take a closer look at running technique in general.

How do we run?

When we run we will extend one leg out in front of us, to do this we have to use the thigh muscle, or quadricep. Once our leading leg is planted the posterior (rear) muscles take over from the quadricep and pull us forward at the same time as this is happening, the thigh muscle on our other leg is used to extend that leg and start the sequence over.

What this basically means is that running requires your thigh muscles and the muscles on the rear of your legs to work as hard as each other in order to propel you forward…this is what happens when you run normally.

However, if you are running on a treadmill, it only requires half the effort! We will still use our thigh muscles to extend the legs, but unlike running on a solid surface, the rear muscles are not worked as much due to the fact that the treadmill belt does the job for them by pulling the planted leg backwards. In short, our leg muscles are only working at about 50% when compared to road running.

This imbalance when running is bad for two reasons, firstly you burn far fewer calories and secondly there is more likelihood of stress damage to various parts of the leg, in particular the knee. There is also research to show that treadmill running can actually cause increased tightening and fatigue of the hip flexor muscles which can over time alter running technique and cause further damage to knee joints and then there is also the way your foot, ankle and shin becomes a part of the treadmill belt’s rearward motion this is said to cause shin splints due to the unnatural angle of the shin.

So as for the question about treadmills causing shin splints…yes they do, but the likelihood of suffering treadmill shin splints can be greatly reduced by simply adjusting the treadmill so that it is very slightly inclined. This incline will help adjust the angle of the lower leg when running so it performs as if road running. Whilst the treadmill is set to 0% incline the assisted rearward motion of the belt actually makes the shin work as if it is running down a hill, it is this that normally results in the user requiring shin splints treatment.

Having said all that, I would never dismiss the use of treadmills, they are very convenient and are a good training too bad weather in particular during the winter months when the risk of injury due to running on ice and wet surfaces is likely to carry just as much of a threat of joint damage, however…as with all things in life, moderation is the key, never just use a treadmill for your cardio training and road run whenever it is possible.

So now you know how to get rid of shin splints if you get them when using a treadmill and you also know the truth about the health risks of using them…but they are, as I have already said, still very useful and are certainly deserving of their popularity for all the reasons I have stated above. So… before you next decide to jump onto a treadmill, take a minute to look outside your window and see what the weather’s doing and if it looks good….hit the road!!

Have a great shin splints free day

Danny