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I've had shin splints for 4 years. Its my senior year and my conference is tommarrow. I'm actually icing them as we speak. Why do they always get hurt after I practice? Its to the point where I never even get to practice anymore, i just recover for a week then jump in my meets. And that, is not fun. I've gotten about 2 or 3 good practices in IF that this season. HELP!

Ok I dont know a way to treat them but for future relivev dont pracitce in spikes ( just in running pracitce vault in spikes) uses some comfy cross trainers or soemthing to run in

Are you sure they are shin splints and you dont have stress fractures or something?

I have also had shin problems for the past five years and I recently discovered that mine was due to high arches in my feet... so check that out and orthodix is the way to go... if that isnt it, my girlfriend has compartment syndrome, which is also shins, so if the high arches thing isnt the answer, go see a foot and leg specialist... until then, wear something tight around your shin and calf that wont restrict movement, but will keep the muscles on your shin tight and warm... oh yeah, take about four ibuprofen and you wont feel a thing...keep icing everynight and start doing toe taps, toe raises and heel raises to strengthen them... any other questions about what causes them to happen or other exercises, let me know...

VikingVaulter wrote:Why do they always get hurt after I practice? Its to the point where I never even get to practice anymore, i just recover for a week then jump in my meets. And that, is not fun. I've gotten about 2 or 3 good practices in IF that this season. HELP!

it sounds more like compartmental sydrome, but thats very rare (though 70%+ of its cases are from runner) because shin splints hurt while running and generally stops once u r done, while compartmental sydrome goes generally lingers long after you are done. If you wake up with pain or "morning hobble" most likely u have CS. The diffrence is extreme, Shin Splints is the extreme use/overuse in which the calcium bone matrix degrades and inflammes the connective tissue around the bone. CS is when the fascia around the bone is bein compressed againt the bone when blood is forced into your blood vessels. just use RICE and if it gets worse see ur doc if the pain if it becomes really bad. Dont think the worse, but dont try to run through them, it could get worse.

Chronic compartment syndrome is really rare. One tip that might lead you to suspect it is if you have a lot of TIGHTNESS in addition to really bad standard shin split pain.

t's not that uncommon for shin splint to be hurting after you are done working out. If you've had them for a long time, it's worth having a doctor look at them to make sure you don't have a stress fracture.

I have had shin splints for five years and my shins always hurt after workouts, are often times sore the next day, and I'm absolutely positive it isnt compartmental syndrome... Check the arches thing, if you have fairly high arches, have a trainer tape them before you workout sometime and see if it helps...

It's not compartmentAL syndrome, it's compartment syndrome, which, by the way, is also the clinical term for shin splints, but there are different types of compartment syndrome, anterior and lateral, and both acute and chronic. To learn more, visit:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cyber ... ompart.htm

lonestar wrote:It's not compartmentAL syndrome, it's compartment syndrome, which, by the way, is also the clinical term for shin splints, but there are different types of compartment syndrome, anterior and lateral, and both acute and chronic. To learn more, visit:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cyber ... ompart.htm

That's what I meant....

My symptoms are as follows...
The inner lower portion of my legs is what hurts on both sides. The pain dissappears at meets and for many hours after, (with the use of compression sleeves, and 400mg of advil) The next day when I stand up I feel like I'm walking like forest gump when he was a little kid. Standing in the shower is even irritating.

To fix them I fill a plastic trash can full of cold water and dump about a gallon of ice into it. Then I apply icey hot to my calves, soleis, and ankle area.


Based on what everyone has said, I either have stress fractures, or compartment syndrome (shin splints)? I tried insoles once, however I don't believe that they helped.

What kind of a doctor should I see? I don't want vaulting to be like this in college.

See an orthopedic surgeon.... That is what my gf is having to do...

I would see a sports medicine doctor first.

You're not likely to be able to see an orthopedic surgeon without a referral, and you probably don't need to see one anyway. Laura had to see several doctors before she actually saw a surgeon.