Shin shin cramps are agony, you probably already know that, which is why you are reading this. You can’t do any of your normal sports or activities for fear of that agonizing stabbing pain.
It’s not good for your fitness, it’s not good for fun, it’s not good for anything. Shin Splint Stretches is part of the cure, but there are a few key steps to take first.
What are shin splints?
Shin splints are a lower leg injury related to muscle and tendon tears, stress and fatigue at the points where they attach to the lower leg bones (fibula and tibia). The result is pain that can literally prevent you from walking.
The 2 main causes of this are:
Overload
Excessive impact forces from sports and/or weight-bearing activities can overload as they can no longer absorb shocks.
Exercising on hard surfaces, uneven terrain, starting to exercise too hard after a long rest, increasing intensity or duration too quickly, exercising in bad shoes, and running uphill or downhill excessively can exacerbate this.
biomechanics
Basically, flat feet lead to overpronation, where the foot and ankle excessively rotate inward when they hit the ground. This overstretches the muscles.
This can be exacerbated by poor running style, tight muscles, running with excessive forward or backward lean or with the toes pointing out and landing on the balls of the foot.
So how to treat and cure pimples FAST?
Prevention is better than cure, but in this article we will assume that you already have shin splints and need quick pain relief. Look for my other article on shin guards stretches for prevention
Shin Splint Treatment Cure Action 1 – Eliminate the cause
I’m sorry, but you’ll have to give up running or sports for a bit, there’s no way around it.
DO NOT keep training, this is not an injury you can overcome or eliminate, it will only get worse if you do.
To recover as soon as possible, you must do well. Then you can slowly and steadily get back in with a minimum of wasted time.
QUICK EMERGENCY RICER Treatment
The basic treatment should be like any other muscular type injury and follow the famous RICER process (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and Referral to a professional)
Ideally, start RICER within 48-72 hours of injury. I realize you may have been suffering with them for some time, in which case do it now.
Taking some anti-inflammatory tablets like IB Propfin or Voltaren is also a good idea.
Rest-
Keep your leg(s) as still as possible. It decreases blood flow and prevents further damage.
Ice-
Crushed ice in a bag, bags of frozen peas, etc. This works wonders to reduce swelling. Wrap ice packs in a damp towel to prevent skin damage. Try to apply for 20 minutes for 48-72 hours (when awake!)
–
Wide and firm elastic bandages around the top and bottom.
Elevation –
Raise your leg above the level of your heart as often as possible. Reduces swelling and bleeding.
Reference –
If it is severe and you are barely able to walk hours after the onset of pain, then you should see a physical therapist or sports doctor for specific rehabilitation to further reduce the time to injury. This is optional if your pain isn’t too bad after the first 4 steps.
Also, very important: No heat!
For 24-72 hours avoid any heat such as heat lamps, creams, spas, etc. Also avoid any leg massage and don’t drink too much alcohol. All of this will increase the bleeding, swelling, and pain from your injury. Some of these (not alcohol) will help in shin splint stretch prevention programs, but not in the healing phase.
Do this and your shin splints will go away without a problem and we can move on to the next phase which is rehabilitation and prevention which involves physio, heat, massage, effective arm lifting techniques and building muscle strength and flexibility with stretching and activities to leg cramps.