Most runners will come down with nagging injuries or discomfort at some point during their training. One of the most common questions is, “why do my shins hurt when I run?” So why do they hurt? That’s a very important question and we’ll take a look at why.
The actual cause of the injury is related to overstress placed on the muscles of the anterior shin, or front of the shin (tibialis anterior). When either running or jumping athletes will sometimes over-stride and forcibly plant on the heel of the foot. This causes a whip like reaction with the distal end of the foot in which the toes are stretched forward and downward (following heel strike), placing significant stress on the muscles and ligaments that regulate your toes, which happen to run up your ankle all the way to your shin. Repeating this motion continues to stress the muscles and ligaments of the shin and can rapidly develop into a debilitating overuse injury. Basically, with a heavy heel strike you are giving the tibialis anterior a bit of whiplash.
Reasons why your shins may hurt when you run
There are several reasons why you may develop the throbbing feeling in your shins such as:
1. Tight Calves – having tight calves is one of the primary contributors to aching shins during exercise. The muscles and ligaments surrounding your shin bone (tibia) become inflamed during exercise and this is exacerbated by tight calf muscles. Consistently stretching your calves can reduce the discomfort substantially over time.
2. Carrying too much weight – having a heavy frame places extra stress on the entire body while running. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick fix for this. Eat a balanced diet mixed with exercise and work to trim down over time.
3. Hard surfaces – if you love running and refuse to stop despite the pain then try getting off of the pavement and move to a flat, dirt trail. Dirt trails provide a softer surface to run on and consequently place less stress on your body while running, including your shins.
4. Old shoes or the wrong shoes – if you plan on running then buy running specific shoes. This isn’t a marketing gimmick when companies develop lines of shoes designed for a specific activity (eg running, cross training). Asics, New Balance, Adidas, Mizuno and Saucony are just a few of the brands that make excellent running shoes.
5. Heel striking – as was mentioned above the heel strike is the primary issue. Try shortening your stride and focus on either landing mid food or towards the ball of your foot.
What you can do to alleviate sore shins from running
1. Rest – take a bit of time off and try to let your body do what it does best – recover!
2. Ice – the age old remedy of ice and elevation should not be understated. Ice two or three times a day for about 20 minutes at a time for as long as the discomfort persists.
3. Stretching – loosen up the anterior and posterior shin and calf muscles on a daily basis. Having tight muscles and ligaments will only make the risk for shin injury easier.
4. Anti inflammatories – over the counter pills like Advil or Tylenol will keep the swelling down and minimize pain.
Although many runners will experience this issue at some point during their training it’s something that can be easily diagnosed and remedied by following the above steps.
Have you experienced this issue before? Tell us about it and what you did to fix it.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok, I gained almost 50 lbs, but I’m 6 ft tall so it does not really tell that I’m fat, I know I am but it does not really look like it. My weight is 236, however, I’m trying to go back to 175 lbs. Anyways, I started running and when I run in the pavement, by the second lap, my tibialis anterior or front shin hurts so much that I have to stop and try to stretch because it gets numb, like something is compressing my muscles there. Then I walk one lap and then run 2 more laps but the pain is there. Then I started running on grass/dirt and the pain is not as much as pavement but still it hurts. Now when I play soccer, my anterior and front shin hurts and gets numb and soar that it’s hard for me to run, then after a while, say 15, 20 minutes, the soreness gets tighter and for some reason, the pain goes away, but after I finish playing soccer, is like if I regret it, because the pain is enormous, the muscles get cold and that’s when it hurts. I would like to know what can I do, any remedy, shoes, anything would really help.
Thanks
I have the exact same issue, down to the weight and muscle aches. I would like to know the same thing.
I feel the exact same way ! It hurts so bad I can’t even walk . Streaching it hurts so bad ! Shoes what to buy ? Anything ? I can do about 1 mike then I’m done .
I was enormously over weight. I at one point was up to 290 lbs. At 6’1″ this was really unhealthy. I tried running in normal running shoes and I ran in to the same problems as Ross and Jesse. I switched to barefoot running and haven’t looked back. It forces you to focus on landing softer and staying on the ball and mid part of the foot. It improves your stride and posture while running. I will never go back to running shoes.
I’ve been running barefoot (with the socks and with the virbrams) now for 6-7 months and I’m down to 250 lbs. and I only get mild discomfort in the shins if I run on concrete for my entire hour long run. If I stay on asphalt, grass, or dirt I don’t get any discomfort anymore.
im 15 and i play baseball. i stretch before every game. my shins dont hurt until about halfway through the game. ive noticed that if i run a lot then sit down, that when i get up my shins hurt even worse. my mom says it because i have flat feet. i dont have much of an arch in my foot but i dont know why that would hurt me so much. im slow and even if i run my hardest im still slow. im pretty good at baseball but running has always held me back. if there is anything i could do to make me any faster, i would be very happy. thanks
hi. i am 5ft tall weighing 140lbs and when i jog, i can feel my front shin does really hurt. what should i do?
This is very interesting. Today, after my 8th time running (trying to lose weight for a wedding) my shins are burning- and i stretch for 30 mins before AND AFTER my 2 mile runs!
I am not a miracle worker, nor yet a doctor, but I am a dancer and know a thing or two about stretching. For those of you with the shin issues – try sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched to both sides, as far as you can comfortably. (your knees shouldn’t be lifting off the ground). stretch to each side, from the back (use your left arm raise it straight up parallel to your right leg and stretch OVER so that you feel it from your lower back, through your back/shoulder and def the legs. after doing the other side, FLEX your feet, and kids, I am talkin hard. heels should be off the ground. after you’re warm from stretching pointed toe you should be able to get the palm of your hand on the ball of your foot and LIFT. Hold that sucker until it hurts.
I know it’s not MUCH and it will not solve all of your problems, but usually strain comes from A) overworking, yes but B) from NOT stretching. and stretch after too. can’t kill ya.
I have been running for years as my job requires me to (army). Lately, within the first couple of miles my shins start to scream out in pain causing me to have to stop for a short while which is getting frustrating. Normally run from 5 to 10 miles, stetching before and after. This happens mainly when the pace is quite fast, I have tried slowing the pace down but I cannot do this on group runs and it only eleviates the problem a fraction. When they start hurting, they go rock hard (shin muscle) and then when continuing to run my feet slap on the floor. I have trainers which are correct from a gait analysis and I try to train every other day to give sufficient rest. Anyone got any ideas as this is driving me crazy?