Shin Splints

[SwinginBoo]

Ok, so Swing Kitten prompted me to post my question here so HERE it is.

For the past few months I've been dealing on and off with shin splints. They have never been too bad and I've always managed with Icing it and Ibuprofen. This past week however, I've been in so much pain that I have had to stop running, and dance sparingly. It's to the point where it is rather painful to walk. And I'm still assuming these are shin splints I'm dealing with since I've got some bruises and swelling on the front of my leg where the muscles connect to the bone. The odd thing is that the pain is coming from somewhere else in my leg, but still in the front. So anyhow, I assume it's shin splints. Any other suggestions other than

1. stop dancing/running for a bit (which Swing Kitten will bite my head off if I say that one more time :wink: ...honestly I am, no really :P )
2. icing
3. ibuprofen

[Vince A]

Don't fool around . . . go to the doctor.

Swelling maybe, but not bruises with a shin splint.

The reason I say go to the doctor, is because this is how my doctor discovered that I had Type II diabetes. I kept complaining that two of my toes on my left foot ached ever so slightly. Eight months later . . .

[Sagitta]

You probably need to see a doctor since you have a problem that does not seem to go away, even if it only is to have your suspicions confirmed. I tend to self-treat too, but this is something I would definitely see a doctor about.

[Taita]

Hi Boo,

I am rather hesitant to comment on medical matters because there are so many opinions and so much conflicting information available, it's easy to cause a controversy. However, having experience in both shin splints and dance injuries, I'll add my 2 cents and brave the waters:

Shin Splints....hurt. When I started running, I too experienced shin splints. The searing pain in my legs would be nearly to great to bear and I couldn't understand why I would be feeling this. Painkillers and ice packs worked to lessen the severity of the pain, but did not prevent them from recurring. Through much experimentation and research, I found out the cause for my shin splints. When I ran, more often than not, the force of my stride did not roll from the heel to the ball as the human foot is designed to be used. Often, the force of my stride would strike my foot , but not roll. This caused the energy that was not properly absorbed by my foot to be absorbed up my legs. Muscles and bones were forced into a role they were not designed for. For me, this meant shin splints. Once I understood this, I worked to correct my stride and specifically worked on utilizing my entire foot. Once I did this, I never experienced shin splints again.

On to dance injuries...

When I started dancing, occassionally I would have a terrible pain in my right hip. I recognized this pain as a hip pointer. Something I once had when I was playing football (American football for the curious international readers.... :wink: ). However, since my football days were long over, I was quite surprised to have this. An ice pack and heat pads, as well as painkillers helped ease the pain, but it kept recurring. After a while, I came to accept this condition as a re-aggrevated injury. One day, I was correcting my technique with my coach. I was a bit hesitant because my hip was sore that day, but I did. I explained where it hurt and what I would do to make it hurt more. She looked at me and explained that it wasn't supposed to hurt and my technique was forcing my body to move in a way it was not designed to. Once we corrected my technique, the pain subsided never returned (additionally, the quality of my dancing improved!).

I tend to agree with the others on this, seeing a medical specialist is probably a wise move. However, I would also add that the pain you feel may very well have a root cause that is not being addressed. The human body was designed to handle much more stress than what a typical night of social dancing can inflict. You may want to ask yourself why it hurts and take a good look at how you are moving your body. Just my humble opinion.

[SwinginBoo]

Thanks for the replies. Going to a doctor is a good idea. It's just complicated by the fact that i just moved here and don't have a doctor. I'd have to take part of a day off to go see my PCP in RI, which probably won't go over well with people at school. My insurance is going to run out in December as well so it would be difficult to find a doctor here on such short notice. But I will think of a way to work it out hopefully. Thanks again.

[Swing Kitten]

suure you'll see your doctor... just after your last dance! ;)

I know you've been dancing a crazy amount... even more than usual... but please take care of your body-- it's the only one you get and if you don't have your health nothing else matters-- besides, I want to dance with you!

[SwinginBoo]

OK I'll do my best. THis is a personal best for me...third night in a row without dancing...while bruce is dancing. It's so hard. :cry:

On the upside. I just walked up the stairs without pain for the first time in months. :D

[SDsalsaguy]

Do take it easy Boo... and do get it checked out!

I know how frustrating it can be not to be dancing but I've rushed back from injuries a couple of times too many not to warn you that you'll just end up costing yourself more dance time in the long run.

[Swing Kitten]

could arials be the culpret? ... and why Bruce is still dancing?

Makes sense to me... I know you've been doing more of them lately. That's a lot of energy for you legs to absorb!

[SwinginBoo]

I think aerials may have factored in...especially since I was doing them last week in my wedge shoes which are not the most supportive or comfortable (the pictures show me in sneakers...that was the end of the night when I could barely walk)

Well Bruce shoudln't suffer because I am right?

[pygmalion]

Hmm. I wonder if we can get someone that does aerials to post something in the preventing injury thread? :?

[Swing Kitten]

Well Bruce shouldn't suffer because I am right?

Of course he should!! and you can tell him I said so ;) .... that is, as long as he would still dance with me :D

I wasn't saying that Bruce shouldn't dance but that he wouldn't feel the consequences of doing the ariels which would point to them being the problem instead of the sheer amount you have been dancing since you two generally dance the same number of hours a week (do you?).

[SwinginBoo]

IN general yes we do dance the same number of hours per week. Although I have just completed week number one of no dancing....oy vey I don't know how much more I can take. :cry:

Oh well, it's best in the long run...I think I'm starting to feel better.

[Swing Kitten]

YAY!

[SwinginBoo]

I haven't danced in 11 days. That has to be the most I've gone since I started dancing. But the good news is that i'm going to try to dance tomorrow! :D

[Swing Kitten]

Be careful! If it hurts please stop!!!

[SDsalsaguy]

Be careful! If it hurts please stop!!!
Listen to SK! She's a smart cookie!

[Swing Kitten]

Listen to SK! She's a smart cookie!

Honey you know it! ;)

[SDsalsaguy]

Listen to SK! She's a smart cookie!

Honey you know it! ;)
And I do! :notworth:

[Swing Kitten]

pishhh... you don't expect me to buy this do you?


... remember... I'm a smart cookie!

Did I ever mention how we really need a raised eyebrow smilie?

[SDsalsaguy]

... remember... I'm a smart cookie!
Now that you mention it, I think that I do remember hearing a vicious rumor going around to exactly this effect! :shock:



:wink: :D

[Swing Kitten]

:lol:

[SwinginBoo]

SO I went dancing today and it felt so magical. :D It was like that feeling I got when I first started dancing...like "This is the most wonderful feeling and I never want to stop doing it" So I need to really take care of my body in order to prolong my dancing life.

[Swing Kitten]

Amen Sister!

[dancergal]

Boo, it's good that you took some time off. It reminds me when I broke my little toe, but I didn't want to take time off dancing, so I taped it and continued to dance. Eventually my whole foot would hurt when I'd dance. I did that for months and my toe wasn't healing and it hurt all the time. Finally saw a doctor who told me to stop dancing for awhile and let my toe heal. It was really hard. I had to take 3 weeks off while my b/f continued to dance. I didn't want him to stop because I did. Boy, was that ever hard, but then when I finally went back to dancing, it was soooo nice and since my toe felt better, I was dancing better too!

[danceguy]

Hi Boo,

Glad to hear you are feeling better! After a car accident last week my doctor told me to take a week off of dancing...and the look on my face was priceless!

"Excuse me? No dancing?"

"Yes, no dancing. Your body needs time to recover."

"!@#!@#@$$@#%#$%#"

Very begrudgingly I took his advice, and about 5 days later I went out to dance a bit. And while I didn't dance a lot...my god did it feel so good to be on the floor again! But when my body told me it was time to stop, I stopped...and I'm getting better slowly but surely, one day at a time. :)

Best,

SG

[SwinginBoo]

Glad to hear is SG! It is so hard to take time off from dancing, but it is so important to comply with those orders.

[SwinginBoo]

I went running today for the first time in what feels like forever...oh it felt wonderful. But no worries, it was very short. And I'm going dancing tonight, but am not going to overdo it. Tomorrow I'm taking a day off from dancing and on Saturday I have my lesson in NY! I'm way to excited. :D

[SDsalsaguy]

Saturday I have my lesson in NY! I'm way to excited. :D
Looking forward to hearing you report Boo... enjoy!

[Swing Kitten]

How did the lesson go Stephanie?

[borikensalsero]

I see, me is late...

Here are my two cents on shin splints. I played lacrosse in college, we were named the track team instead of the lacrosse team because of how much we ran.

Well, it seemed like everyone in the team had shin splints at one time or another during my 4 years there. What I got out of shin splints was that the clalf muscles are usually stronger than the shin muscles, hence, causing a down pull of the foot. The weakness of the shin muscle will cause it to hurt because it can't balance the un-common pull of the foot caused by the calf muscles. I never looked into how much truth there was to it, but seems reasonable as there was no balance between the 2 interacting muscles.

We had no choice but to run through it no matter how much it hurt. But we were given a little excercise to strengthen the shin muscles. We were told to do the A B Cs (the alphabet) with our feet. Whenever I feel shin splints I start doing it. I do it twice a day if I remember, unitl they feel better. Write out every capital letter of the alphabet with the tip of your toes on the air, stretching them all the way up and down from A to Z... That should took care of all the shin splint cases I saw in college, it should help those shin splint caused by weak muscles.

But there is really no one better than a doc to tell you what is wrong. And to comfirm if the above mention is the way you should go. Glad to see you are feeling better..

[SwinginBoo]

How did the lesson go Stephanie?

For an answer to this question plus more stuff than you even wanted to know, please visit the Yuval and Nathalie thread under the Swing Discussion Boards. :D

[SwinginBoo]

So since my shin splints are still causing me problems I made an appointment to get a gait analysis done. It involves running on a treadmill for an hour while being observed and videotaped. My podiatrist will then tell me what's going wrong to cause the pain. Though my form is good when I run I think I'm using my right foot incorrectly to compensate for the permanent injury sustained to that foot 5 years ago. Well, it's a step in the right direction of my new year's resolution. :)

[SDsalsaguy]

Glad to see that your finally seeking some professional help with this Boo... injuries and pain shouldn't be negelcted! :(

[Swing Kitten]

WOO HOO!!! I hope it's very helpful!

[slavisa]

Hi, i've just joined the forum as i was researching stuff on shin splints. Now i'm playing college soccer and for those that play sports know how much running is involved. I developed the shins problem in fall of 2002 but did not take any real measures to treat this problem as i was not in big amount of pain. Well i;ve worked through the pain through the 2003 year till the fall when our season started and thats when it really got bad. Usually after each practice i could not walk because of the pain. It was so bad that i had to medical redshirt the year to get healthy. I've did physical therapy for about 4 months, which mostly involved weightlifting to make the shin muscles stronger so they can balance the big calf muscles. One would think after 4 months it would heal, so i started playing again and all over again they started hurting. and since we play year round i cant take off any days. I've been dealing with it by icing, and using anywhere between 1500-2000mg of ibuprofen, but even after all of this they hurt so much that its getting harder and harder to get through the trainings, even the light ones.

I've looked for compression sleeves but they do not work at all for me, next thing i'm going for is the insoles to see if that will help some. SwinginBoo i want to ask you about the analysis you are doing, about going and running on the treadmill to see what is wrong, can you email me or post here a web site with more info or phone number of this place since i'm nyc, not that far from ct.

[SwinginBoo]

I'd love to help. The only thing is that I had it done in RI, where I just moved from. However, most podiatry offices have a doctor who specializes in sports medicine and can give a gait analysis. It really helped me a lot. He gave me a list of shoes to purchase and since then my shin splints are gone. However, now i have achilles tendonitis and plaintar facieities from doing too much too soon. Oh well, it's a delicate balance I suppose.

[pygmalion]

Hi, Swingin Boo! :D 8) Long time, no see. :?

[Sagitta]

Welcome to df slavisa!! I really can't add too much to what has been said, but just wanted to welcome you to df!! You might want to post your question at www.thefitnessforums.com also. Are you into any sort of dancing?

I have had shin splint problems in the past, often caused by running on really hard surfaces with worn out shoes, or after not running for a long time. I would gradually build up to your expected regular average foot stress after taking so much time off. Perhaps if you build up at a slower pace it may not be an issue.