I have shin splints....?!
Question: And they hurt. All the time. I know there isn't much you can do to "cure" them. You have to just let them heal on their own. But i am a freshmen and on track and a hurdler, and they kill! I take pain killers such as tylenol before practice, but it doesn't help. I'm running a lot during track, and i strech and stuff but i cant seem to make them feel better. They hurt all the time now and when i am actually working out they get to the point where i can't walk in a strait line and where i have to sit down, but it hurts to sit down and when i finally get down it hurts to get back up.
Any help on how to relieve pain...i guess is my main point here.
Answers: And they hurt. All the time. I know there isn't much you can do to "cure" them. You have to just let them heal on their own. But i am a freshmen and on track and a hurdler, and they kill! I take pain killers such as tylenol before practice, but it doesn't help. I'm running a lot during track, and i strech and stuff but i cant seem to make them feel better. They hurt all the time now and when i am actually working out they get to the point where i can't walk in a strait line and where i have to sit down, but it hurts to sit down and when i finally get down it hurts to get back up.
Any help on how to relieve pain...i guess is my main point here.
Ahhhh....a fellow hurdler. I had the same problems - actually, you sound quite like me when I was in high school. My recommendation is to stop taking tylenol. Tylenol is only going to mask the pain, not allow you to feel that it is there - which might allow you to injure yourself more because you don't feel the amount of pain you are in. I would recommend using a product called MonaVie found at www.mymonavie.com/kellieteller, which is a great anti inflammatory drink. Secondly, try taping your shins. Start at the heel and pull the muscle towards the shin using 6-8" strips of medical or sports tape. This should help tremendously. Then, make sure you shave your legs very well and have someone your trust take their two thumbs, dip them in a wax or thick lotion and starting near the ankle, press very hard between the bone and the muscle. This will feel worse than childbirth at first, but bear with it and trust me, you will get relief. You can ice - I wouldn't recommend heat, but the massage will probably serve you best. Again, with a thick lotion or wax start at the bottom of your leg near your ankle and in one motion immediately beside your bone (shin), have someone press hard and move all the way to your knee. Do not allow them to pulsate their massage or start in the middle of the leg. It is important to have them do this, not you. You won't be able to achieve the necessary pressure if you do it yourself.
Before you run you need a good LOW IMPACT warm up. Bike or ellipsoidal machine are good. After practice soak your legs up to the knee in ice water for one minute take them out for one minute in the water again for one minute etc... for 5-10 repetitions.