Shin Cramps

Question
I know you are a runner, but after playing pickup basketball for a couple of hours I stretch and make sure to take in fluids after each game and after playing.  But when I get home and shower and go to bed about an hour or so later I wake up and my shins are cramping really bad.  Also, the other day I ran, haven't ran in about a week, and it felt like throughout the day my shins wanted to cramp but never did.  I felt it was because I only ran for about 20 minutes.  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thanks

Joe

Answer
Joe -

My friend, it sounds like you have shin splints. Cramping in that area is almost always shin splints, about 99% of the time. Basically, you  need to get that area stronger so that your shins will be strong enough to withstand your movement. And any activity can cause pain in that area, even walking sometimes - treatment, stretching and light weights in this area will help you overcome this and get stronger.

Treatment for shin splints includes rest, massage, ice, stretching, and strengthening. Rest and ice is sometimes the best treatment. You should also be stretching your calves and Achilles tendon. If you have the problem during running or walking, try warming up more and don't increase the speed too quickly. You can also try varying the speed and elevation of the treadmill if you use one instead of keeping it the same.

To stretch your calves:

1. Lean against a wall with one leg forward and the knee bent
2. Keep the rear leg straight, heel on the floor
3. Keep your back straight and lean your hips forward until you feel stretch in your calf. If you don't feel it too much, put your toe of the rear leg up on a tree limb, or a dumbbell, or any other small object, so that you bend the ankle more. Your heel always remains on the floor. That will increase the stretch.
4. To stretch the soleus muscle and Achilles (very important for shin splints), do the same calf stretch but bend the back knee slightly and you will feel the pull on your Achilles tendon.

Also, make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you lots of support, particularly in the arch. If your shins hurt, you should gently massage them and then ice them after you work out.

Pictures of stretching techniques for shin splints can be found at http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/shin_splints/index.html

Sometimes shin splints are confused with cramping of the anterior tibialis muscle and usually occurs from the constant repetition of flexing the foot. The anterior tibialis is the muscle on the outside of the shin bone that flexes your foot. Imagine sitting in a chair and constantly flexing your ankle up and down (i.e., tapping your toe) with your heel on the floor and in short time you will feel the same type of cramping. People report the cramping more often on the treadmill than outdoor walking, the reason being that on the treadmill the foot flexes repeatedly without any letup (unless you vary the speed). In addition, outdoors you self-select the speed and you probably vary it a bit which helps prevent the constant flexing problem at the same speed as on the treadmill. If you raise the elevation on the treadmill it can be even worse.

Some people report that running is not as bad as walking. This is most likely due to the fact that during walking you take more steps (and more flexes of the foot) than when you run. When you run your stride is longer and your feet are in the air for a longer period of time, which gives the foot a break from the constant contractions.

You can try a few things if this is the problem:

1. Vary the speed on the treadmill and try not to walk briskly for too long.
2. Warm up at slower speeds until you feel looser.
3. If the pain starts, either slow down the treadmill, get off and walk around for a few minutes, or as some people do successfully, start jogging to give the anterior tib a break.

Cramping usually gets better as your muscles get used to the treadmill, but every once in a while it will still cause a problem. If cramping persists, see your health care provider.