Why Do My Shins Hurt When I Run?

Why do my shins hurt when I run?

Shins that hurt when you run can turn into something more serious if you continue to run and ignore the pain. Shin splints most commonly happen while training for a race or when you are learning to run.


Here's some information about why your shins hurt while you run and a story of what happened to me when I didn't listen to the signs...

 Why do your shins hurt when You run?

If  your shins hurt while you run, you have the most common injury for a runner which is  called Shin splints. 

This is can be an every once in awhile annoyance or something that is gradually starting to hurt every time you run. 

It could have you taking a couple weeks off running only to have you go back to the same problem of shin splints. 

If you don’t address the issue early, it could turn into a serious injury. Unfortunately, beginner runners are especially affected and it happens just when they beginning to love running! 

Let’s talk about some of the causes of shin pain:

• Most causes for shin pain or shin splints are the age or mileage of your shoes. The way your shoe fits can be considered a major factor because of the way you land with not enough support. 
• You could be running in the wrong shoe for your foot type! There are shoes build to provide more stability to help prevention pronation or supination.
• How you run is huge on the list, you may run with long strides, a too forward lean or toes that point in or out.
• The surface you run on is either too hard or uneven. Running on grass is fine, but running on concrete can be jarring to your feet, shins and your whole body. A track with a soft surface is excellent or even a trail or the woods is ideal for a lower impact on your body.
• Running too long for your abilities, or building your mileage week to week with a higher mileage than your body is ready for. Follow the 10% rule, increase your weekly or bi-weekly mileage by only 10% more than your last weekly long run. It’s best to follow a program or hire a coach.
• Not being conscious of your posture. Keep your head facing straight and look about 15 to 20 feet away while you are running. Good posture keeps your whole body falling in alignment with each running step.
•  Running light on your feet and landing on your mid-foot is ideal and most of all, try to keep your big toe aligned with your knee.
• Like I mentioned earlier. If you are new to running and learning to run you might do too much running too soon. 
• Not warming up properly every time or cooling down with dynamic stretches to start and static stretches post-run.

Why do my shins hurt when I run? 

Your shins hurt because your muscles and tendons are being stressed too much. The tendon is rubbing across the shin bone causing pain and swelling.

What Are The Symptoms of Shin Splints?

This is how you will feel when you have shin splints:

1. Shin splints can feel like a nagging pain running up your shin bone and along the muscle. You'll notice shin pain especially in the beginning of your run and when you continue to run it may stop.
2.  Although... as you start to come to the end of your run the pain may come back. 
3.  You might find when you get out of bed in the morning the pain radiating up and down your shin bone.
4.  There even might be a slight swelling at the front of your shin.

Here's what happened to me and my shins.

I did my second last run with the pain on and off... 

It wasn't bad pain, just a nagging pain!

I waited two days to go for my next run.

All of a sudden it happened! I pushed it too far!

I could barely make it around the 2km mark.

I couldn't run and I couldn't walk.

My running was finished...Yes finished for 3 long months!

Too long...But a great lesson!

My injury had gone past shin splints and turned into a stress fracture.

The bone was chipping away...every time I ran. Ouch!

Now, this is quite awhile ago, so now I pay particular attention when symptoms start to creep up...

Listen to your body!

Don't ignore the pain...

If you have pain running....Stop.

If you are having a lot of pain throughout your run get checked by your doctor to see what is wrong!

You can prevent shin splints by following a good stretching program!
 This poster is awesome to keep close to you or hang on the wall. It's nice to do instead of flipping through a book trying to get the exercises right.  Click on the poster link to see more.

 POSTER!

 The above eBook "The 7 Step Shin Splints Treatment System"  You customize from home and be assured of never get Shin Splints again. Integrating this system into your learn to run program or training program will have you back running 50% sooner!

Take a look at this great program for  Healing Your Shin Splints!

I found this most effective in healing and preventing shin splints from coming back.





Articles of Relevance:
Shoes For You
Have You Ever Had a Twinge Of Pain On The Front Inside Of Your Shin?



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