Running pains?

As the nice weather embarks upon us, we find ourselves venturing outside more often to enjoy the great outdoors. For those of us who are getting back in to running, or increasing the training regimine, you may notice some areas are beginning to hurt! If what begins as a fun run, turns into moans and groans, read along to see what you can do to ease your pain.

Many people often experience pain along the front of their shins when they run. These so called “shin splints” can have you doubling over in pain, and put an immediate stop to your run, and destroy your desire to do so again. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (shin splints) can also be caused by other activities, including jumping, dancing, and sprinting. It is often attributed that the pain comes from the muscle group that lies on the front of the leg, which acts to bring the toes up towards the sky (dorsiflex the foot). What causes this muscle group to become aggravated is forceful slamming of the heel against the ground. Through normal running motion, your anterior muscle group picks your toes up towards the sky while your foot coasts in the air so you don’t trip. As the heel hits the ground, the muscles on the front of the leg work to hold the toes up (dorsiflex), but are placed under a very forceful contraction. This causes a rapid response of the muscles to “fire back” to counteract the force. Over time (period of minutes to hours), the muscles become fatigued and irritated, and cause the pain that can span the front of the leg.

Another possible cause is over-powering of the calf muscles. Since the two muscle groups are antagonistic (work against each other), if one is markedly stronger than the other, it can make a big difference. There are also a few aggravating factors, such as over pronation of the foot (where the arch collapses), insufficient time for a warm-up, over-training, or a chronic compartment syndrome. This is when the swelling of the compartment in the leg that contains the anterior muscle group cuts off blood supply to the muscles, causing immense pain, numbness, and skin color changes.. This is a very serious condition, so if you have any concerns that you may have this, see your podiatrist immediately!

The good news is that this nagging shin splint problem is very easily treated in most instances. In most cases rest, ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication can relieve symptoms. It is definitely encouraged to make sure you are providing ample time for a warm-up, and gradually increasing training activity to allow for your body to respond to the demands placed on it. One other very helpful pain-relief tool is custom made orthotics, to ensure your foot is in a proper alignment.

With this knowledge, make sure to not let shin splints ruin your summer outdoor activities. Enjoy nature in all its glory, pain free!

The purpose of this blog is to raise awareness about common conditions associated with the foot and ankle. Any advice given, whether medical or legal, is an opinion. For legal counsel or podiatric care, one should see their local podiatrist or attorney. More information can be found at my website www.michiganfootdoctor.com