UKH

Hi all,

I've suffered with shin splints on and off for 7/8 years. I finally thought I had cracked the issue this year,  but after a fast paced 2km on the road recently (...I mainly run far greater distances off-road)  the dreaded bruises have come back.

I've tried flat shoes, posted shoes, wide shoes, orthotics x 1000, hoka shoes, minimalist shoes, physio, massage, stretching and strengthening over the years.

It's been mentioned before by physios/consultants in the past as an option. I suspect its the kind of thing that would be a 2/3 year wait to have done on the NHS. I'm not sure I want to be lay off the running for that long as it is one of the greatest pleasures in my life over the last couple of years. 

Does anyone have any advice either in terms of having a compartment syndrome fasciotomy or in how much it might cost?

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:

I had a tibial fascial release on both shins in 1993. It was f*cking excruciating and took ages to heal. Can’t say it worked and I’m sure I read recently the evidence in support of it is weak. 

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:

It’s your bodies way of telling you to do another sport. Harsh but true if you’ve explored every conservative avenue. Avoid the knife.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Hi,

fellow sufferer here, had them for years...what did they find when they opened you up?

did they actually identify the cause of the pain? Mine always feels as it is the edge of the bone itself that is the cause.

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:  this is maybe another threads worth,  but....

what shoes are you wearing now?

Do you mainly run on asphalt? Flat or hilly?

Usual training week? 

Have you been filmed, had gait analysis?

In reply to Wimlands:

All they did was cleave the fascia tissue from my shin bones so it doesn’t pull. I’ve got 2 small scars on each shin. I had bone scans before it was done which showed where the stress was. 

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Thanks:
I can manage mine as long as I don’t actually run particularly fast...3 x very slow jogs a week at the moment, no more than 15km in total.

In reply to wbo2:

Yeh. I've had the works. I've had running coaching, endless physio,  strength work, many orthotics, many shoes, gait analysis and all that good stuff.  

I've got flexible flat feet and benefited a lot from the help of Peter Ford and a focus on intrinsic foot strength, self massage etc.

To be honest I normally run offroad in altra shoes twice a week ish unto 10/11km. It was a recent 2km best effort (military) run on tarmac which got them sore again. 

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:

When you say you've tried orthotics where did you get them from?

If you bought them online, got them from a physio or a podiatrist I would say there is a 90% chance you were wasting your money.

Before you go for surgery find a good orthotist and have some orthoses custom made, it won't be cheap but it won't involve anyone taking a knife to you either.

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:if I asked you to list the properties of your ideal shoe, could you?  In terms of front, rear cushioning,  stiffness sideways and width? Motion control,  drop and so on.. ?

In reply to FreeloaderJoe:

I had it done on both shins in 2012, after suffering for a while (before going to the GP). usual 12 week referral then had some NHS physio first, which didn't do anything, then had the op. Took a few months but not years.

Day surgery as an NHS patient in a private ward, was running again 3 weeks later, might have been 4.  Pretty much cured mine, couldn't run more than 10-15 minutes before my feet drooped/wouldn't pick up but fine since. ran a road marathon, couple of Snowdon races. Still get the odd twinge if i wear flat shoes for a long time but thats probably more to do with tight calves/shortened hamstrings.