Run-Down Forums

[Kat]

8 weeks ago I had to stop in the middle of a trail run. My lower leg (both sides, not the shin and not the achilles) was screaming and I walked down the trail in tears. Went to doctors and so far have not gotten any real help. tried physical therapy (strenghtening exercises, stationary bike) and felt ready to try my first run. After barely three minutes the exact pain was back. I kept at it at a slow pace to see if it would loosen up but it just got worse. Tries another run 2 days later and had to stop right away. What now? Anyone experienced this kind of thing? Katja Gordon, Santa Fe

[Dan]

Sounds like shin splints, which can be quite painful and typically are not experienced directly on the shin, despite what the name would imply. Have you read my recommended shin splints excercise on the Training pages?

Dan

[Micah Ward]

Based on past experience, it could be a stress fracture. The only way to know for sure is with a bone scan. If it is a stress fracture it will not show up on a x-ray.

Good luck.
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[Paul]

If a bone scan doesn't show a stress fracture, I'd be looking at possible compartment syndrome, also.
Paul

[Dan]

I was leaning away from anything bone related, because that's the sort of thing doctors usually have the best luck diagnosing...

Dan

[Katja]

Thanks for the quick replys. What is compartment syndrome? Thanks, Katja

[Dan]

From what I know of compartment syndrome, it is when the various ligaments and tendons running through a joint such as the ankle do not have enough space and get compressed or pinched.

Dan

[Conway]

Dan is right ... It and shin splints are very similar ... I used to have really bad shin splints ... Made training very difficult - one reason I stayed away from the 400 ...

Mary Decker had compartment syndrome .. As did I believe Said Aouita .. Mary had surgery to finally fix hers ... Actually slicing open the sheath surrounding that area to make more room ...

But proper stretching and warm ups will help a lot ...

Conway

[Guest]

But I'm new to this board . . . sounds to me like you have acute tendonitis. Not the achilles tendon, but where those muscles attach through tendons to the bone. I would bet that if you push your finger tips into the right spot - hard and searching because it will be hidden - you'll identify at least one inflammation point. The best treatment is anti-inflammatories - ibuprofen works but don't take too many pills and they screw up the digestive tract. If the pain is very bad, speak to a doctor about a second generation anti-inflammatory like Mobic. They are amazing. Other than that, there is no fix and recovery takes a long time. To stay in shape, I'd focus on biking for a while.