These past few weeks I’ve learned that everything has a downside, including exercise. Four words simplified into two: medial tibial stress syndrome, otherwise known as shin splints. A little while ago I started noticing a delocalized soreness along my left shin and figured it was probably just regular old muscle tenderness. But then even when I was just walking around campus I could feel pain in the middle of my shinbone, and it hasn’t gone away.
I like to run two miles every time I go to the gym (so about eight to ten miles per week), but increasingly it’s taken a painful toll on my leg, when the pain spreads into one giant ache. Shin splints, stress fractures…since these words have been in the back of my mind as my leg has continued to bother me, I recently asked a good friend of mine—a much more legit runner than myself and aspiring physical therapist—to give me an amateur diagnosis. She enthusiastically whipped out her textbook from her Care and Prevention class here at St. Olaf and asked me to describe the type and location of my pain. Unfortunately, we decided that it was some sort of medial tibial stress injury.
I would definitely know if it was a stress fracture, she said, and she recommended that I decrease the amount of impact activity (running) and spend more time on a machine like the elliptical. I should also ice my leg and make a visit to the doctor over Spring Break (in 17 days!) if it persists. So much to my chagrin I have momentarily postponed my two miles a day and have settled on one-mile biking or elliptical-ing.
According to the Mayo Clinic, especially beginning runners (meaning me) are at risk, probably because my shins are used to the frequent, abrupt force being placed upon them. In addition to low-impact activities, rest, and ice, Mayo also suggests OTC medications like ibuprofen (check) and arch supports, which help to cushion and reduce stress on the shinbone. (I have another friend who had new arches put into her shoes and hasn’t noticed any pain in her shins since!)
They assert, however, not to stop exercise completely, and that certain exercises can be done to strengthen that part of the leg, like toe raises and leg presses. So while a shin splint is not more of a concern for me than continuing to get in shape, it is one of a multitude of injuries for anyone who is physically active to be aware of. As long as proper treatment and prevention is applied, don’t use a shin splint as an excuse to stop exercising but rather as one to keep getting stronger and varying your workouts.
Take care!
Emily