Shin Splints Anyone?

[teena82]

I'm a runner turned gymnast and shin splints aren't new to me. I had my first stress fracture during sophomore year cross country. I've been nursing an ankle/foot injury for a year and have begun running on the days I'm not in the gym. I started having shin pain periodically over the summer when running or front tumbling. During the last week or so it's become consistent. What I mean by that is I feel it every go at a front tumbling pass and every time my foot hits the ground while running. Since I'm still at PT for my ankle/foot I decided to finally mention it. Because of the location of the pain (about 3 inches below my knee on the front of my shin) he thinks it's a stress fracture. I'm not convinced and think it's just shin splints. I'm getting an MRI tomorrow to hopefully prove him wrong.

Anyways my question is, has anyone else had similar shin pain while front tumbling but not back tumbling? I'm just wondering if I'm normal I guess.

 

[tumblerK]

I've had shin splints for a good long while now and my coach, who was going to college to be a physical trainer, said that when the pain is all over your shin or bounces around then it's shin splints and I was fine, but when it's consistently in one spot, like you could put your thumb on the spot then that's bad news because it might be a stress fracture.

 

[Icoach22]

Hi! yes.....it can very well be shin splints. It does make sense for the front tumbling because of the direction and how the weight pushes through your feet and shins. (like, if you run backwards, i find that it doesnt hurt as bad with shin splints)


all you can do is rest and ice it :-(
have you ever tried using those sleeves that go over your shin/calf for shin splints? They work really well!

 

[teena82]

Results in and no stress fracture. I asked the doc about taping my arches to help with the issue and he said it would help but when I came in he taped my ankle. That was useless and I ended up pulling the tape off halfway through practice. He hasn't mentioned anything about a compression sleeve or changing my training at all so I guess I'll just continue doing what I'm doing. I don't see how that's going to prevent it from becoming a stress fracture though. I'm frustrated but I'll deal. Sorry for the venting.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I got bad shin splints from cross country but then I stopped running and went to PT and they hurt a lot at gymnastics and it was more on front tumbling. My physical therapist found arch taping and I find that it helps a lot.

 

[tough gymnast]

ok my pe teacher at school was a physical therapist and he said if you get shin splints you should rub them and it might make you cry it will hurt but it will make it heal faster and he said to ice it for at least 20 minutes hope this helps