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.
I wear heels every day at work – could they be contributing to my shin pain? It would make sense since a flat shoe would give them even more of a stretch throughout the day and a better start on my post warm-up/post run stretches.
I also notice that when I run, I tend to heel strike first and also lift my toes inside my shoes (flexing my shin). How can a person change that behavior?
I started stretching my calves really good before running, and my shins haven’t hurt since.
Usually I stop for a minute and massage my shins. That will help the pain
I use a calf sleeve. Before I put it on I do a light massage around my calves and ankles. I dont know it this is right but I cover my hands with a light film of Bengay for the massage part. It lessens the friction between skins and the pulling and rolling some leg hair. The sleeve works almost instanlty. If the pain is severe I wear the sleeve hours before training.
Kristin,
I used to be a heel striker as well until this thriatlon dude told me about the mid-foot landing. He told me it takes about 3 months to get used to it, and all you have to do is attempt to land mid-foot. My calves hurt really bad when I started, but he said it would be normal. I have been running mid-foot for a year now and it has greatly improved my performance and also my posture.
I’m a Personal Trainer. I have everyone warm up with jumping jacks first, then stretch the leg muscles till lose…..problem solved