The past three races I’ve developed really bad shin issues.
November, February, and April
April was the worst of the shin pain and I might’ve developed a stress fracture or a serious case of shin splints
I’m not entirely sure because I never get these checked out, mainly because there is not much a doctor can do and secndly, I don’t want to pay for the MRI out of pocket(:
I did talk to a bunch of friends in the medical field and considered all their options
Shin Splints can occur anywhere within the tibia but is most common in the middle to lower one-third of the bone (as is the case for me)
MRI is the best way to tell, X-rays don’t show unless it’s a bad stress fracture.
Surgery is rarely needed
Here’s what I did/ am doing for treatment:
Boot for a week (brother had this)
If needed: ibuprofen/ Tylenol but get off this stuff as soon as possible. (I took about 3 doses)
Cold press 20 minutes every hour
3 months off from running – need rest and time – and then slowly get back into running. The rest of this year is about recovery so that I can come back strong next year
Do low-impact type exercises: biking will be my saving grace.
Eventual rehab when the pain disappears / strengthening the area via lower leg/ single leg exercises.
Joe DiAndrea 