It's a funny thing, this pain in my shin. Most people know when they have it, but very few people, including professionals, seem to know what it is. Most doctors prefer the term tendinitis or periostitis, although they cannot say which of these terms actually describes this condition.
“Shin pain can mean a lot of things,” says Marjorie Albom, a certified trainer and assistant director of the International Institute of Sports Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. “Many people believe it represents the initial stage of stress fractures, others say it is an irritation of the muscles, and others say it is an irritation of the tendons that attach the muscles to the bone. Thus, the problem of treating pain is related to the problem of precisely defining what it really is.”
This may explain why so many active people of both sexes and all ages suffer from shin pain. Lower leg pain often occurs in those who do aerobics (about 22% of exercisers and 29% of instructors) and in long-distance runners (about 28%).
It is fairly well known that non-resilient surfaces can cause shin pain in an instant, and this applies to both people who walk on a concrete road and those who exercise on it. Other causes of shin pain include poor posture, uncomfortable shoes, flat feet, insufficient warming up, improper running and walking technique, overtraining, and so on. Acquiring shin pain is not difficult.
The symptoms are vague and are often mistaken for stress fractures. But in typical cases, shin pain means pain in the lower leg of one or both legs, although there may not be an area of particular pain sensitivity. Pain, including aching, will be felt on the front of the leg after physical activity, and it may also appear and increase during activity.
The remedies described here are designed to help keep shin pain from progressing to stress fractures and allow you to continue your active lifestyle without causing undue harm. Remedies that encourage you to stretch or exercise your calf muscles may be helpful in preventing recurrences. As always, let pain be your guide. If anything recommended here increases your discomfort, don't do it!
“Start by studying the surface,” Albom advises. “If you walk, run, dance, play basketball or anything else on a hard, inelastic surface, then you need to change it.”
Aerobic exercisers experience the highest rate of damage on concrete floors covered with carpet, while exercising on wood floors results in the least amount of damage. If you have to exercise on a non-resilient floor, make sure the instructor only teaches low-impact aerobics or that the room is stocked with high-quality foam mats. Runners should choose grass or dirt over asphalt, and asphalt over concrete. Concrete is not at all resilient and should be avoided in all cases.
If you can't change the surface, or if you find that it's not the problem, then, according to experts, you need to "look for another shoe." “Look for arch support,” says Dr. Albom, “the shock-absorbing quality of the sole and a loose arch. Shoes must have arch support and be carefully fitted.”
Those participating in exercises that place a lot of stress on the forefoot should evaluate shoes based on their ability to absorb shock in that area. The best way to test is to put on your shoes in a store and jump on your toes and then on your flat feet. Impact resistance from the floor should be firm but not harsh.
For runners, the choice is a little more difficult. For example, studies have shown that approximately 58% of all runners with shin pain overpronate (meaning the foot rotates inward). When choosing shoes to prevent pronation, sometimes you need to choose shoes that are less shock-absorbing, especially if you have shin pain.
One way to ensure that your shoes retain their best shock-absorbing properties is to change them frequently. Harry M. Gordon, MD, MD, director of the running program at the University of Pennsylvania Sports Medicine Center in Philadelphia, offers advice for avoiding shin pain: Runners who run 25 miles or more per week need new shoes every 60 to 90 days. , for shorter distances, shoes must be changed every 4-6 months.
Those who do aerobics, tennis or basketball twice a week need new shoes 2 or 3 times a year, while those who exercise up to 4 times a week need new shoes every 60 days.
As soon as you experience shin pain, follow the rule: rest, ice, compression bandage, and leg elevation for 20 to 30 minutes. “Don't underestimate the effects of ice,” Albom says. “The ice procedure is simple: put your foot on an elevation, apply a bandage, and put an ice pack on top for 20-30 minutes.”
A variant of the above treatment is a contrast bath, which is especially effective for pain on the inner surface of the leg. Use this method alternatively: 1 minute with ice, 1 minute with heat. Do this before starting any activity that may cause shin pain, and continue for at least 12 minutes.
“We find that stretching the Achilles tendon and calf muscles is an excellent preventative measure for shin pain,” Albom says. “If you’re a woman and you wear 5cm heels every day, you’re not stretching anything at all.”
Stretching helps because shortened muscles place more weight and tension on the shin bones. Place your hands on the wall, place one foot behind the other and slowly press the heel of your back foot into the floor. Do this 20 times and repeat with the other leg.
Dr. Gordon suggests this simple technique for stretching the Achilles tendon: Stand on the floor with your feet 6 inches apart. Then bend your elbows and knees forward, while keeping your back straight. Reach the point of tension and maintain this pose for 30 seconds. “You should feel a real stretch in the lower part of your calf muscles,” he says. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
"For pain in the front of your shin, you'll want to massage the area near the edge of your shin, but not the shin itself," says Rich Feig, co-director of the American Institute of Sports Massage in New York City and author of Athletic Massage. Massaging directly over the bone will aggravate the inflammation.
To relieve pain with massage, sit on the floor with one knee bent and your foot flat on the floor. Start by lightly stroking both sides of the bone with your palms, moving them back and forth from the knee to the ankle. Repeat these stroking movements several times. Then wrap your hands around the calf muscle and use your fingertips to deeply massage the entire area, applying as much pressure as possible.
"You'll definitely want to restore length and relieve tension in the tendons in the upper and lower calves," says Feig, noting that a good massage can also help improve circulation in that part of the body.
“Shin pain can sometimes be caused by flat feet or very high arches,” says Dr. Gordon. “If you have flat feet, the muscle on the inside of your calf works harder and fatigues faster, causing the bone to take on more weight.”
If you have flat feet, you may need shoes with extra shock-absorbing material or arch support. Inserts can be purchased at sporting goods stores, but it is best to see a podiatrist before using these inserts on your own.
“Pain in the outer lower leg is sometimes associated with very high arches,” says Dr. Gordon. “Therefore, numerous stretching and strengthening exercises are required, and possibly orthopedic devices.”
Shin pain can sometimes be prevented by strengthening the muscles surrounding the lower leg. These muscles help slow the speed of your foot and absorb shock during walking or running. The following helps strengthen them:
Because many experts consider shin pain to be an early stage of a stress fracture, it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between the two conditions. That's right, long-term neglect can cause shin pain to become a stress fracture. How do you know if you've crossed this line? We asked coach Marjorie Albom about this.
“With a stress fracture, you will have precisely localized pain,” she says. – If someone asks you where it hurts, you will be able to pinpoint it by placing one or two fingers on that spot. This will be the site of the bone fracture, and this point is specific. A shin splint will present as painful discomfort up and down the entire length of the bone.”
Pain in the lower leg can appear in a variety of pathological conditions, so a detailed examination of the patient is necessary, especially if the pain syndrome becomes persistent and severe.
Vertebrologists at the Dr. Ignatiev Clinic in Kiev consider pain in the lower leg as a signal of spinal pathology in the lumbar region. You should not neglect medical help when this symptom appears and hope that the pain will go away on its own. Experienced clinic specialists will help you understand the problem and identify its causes. To do this, you need to make an appointment at one of the specialized offices.
Causes of lower leg pain may include:
When diagnosing, it is necessary to first exclude all life-threatening conditions - thrombosis
Sciatica can cause pain in the leg, including the lower leg
deep veins, severe dehydration, prolonged tissue hypoxia, which can lead to irreversible necrosis. In vertebrology, the most informative research methods are radiography of the lower leg itself and the spine in the lumbar area, as well as magnetic resonance and computed tomography.
Treatment of pain in the lower leg consists, first of all, in eliminating the causes of this symptom. For lumbar osteochondrosis, this includes anti-inflammatory therapy, muscle relaxants, vitamins and minerals, improvement of peripheral circulation, as well as manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy, acupuncture and other techniques.
Doctors at the Kyiv “Dr. Ignatiev Clinic” advise seeking help at the very first manifestation of pain. This is the only way to quickly identify the true cause of pain in the lower leg and begin effective treatment that will prevent complications and lead the patient to a full recovery.
Hello, dear readers.
After quite a long break (I apologize for that), I continue to publish recommendations from the book “How to Overcome Pain.”
Pain in the lower leg may occur due to congenital or acquired foot disorders. This is either too high an arch (instep of the foot) or flat feet. Pain can also occur due to unsuitable shoes.
Pain may occur due to a leg injury, due to excessive physical activity, when a muscle is strained, or the Achilles tendon is damaged.
One of the causes of pain may be inflammation of the tendons. This is called tendonitis.
Pain in the lower leg also appears with such a serious disease as varicose veins, including due to phlebitis or thrombophlebitis of the veins that arises against this background.
Pain and lameness may appear due to deterioration in the patency of the arteries that supply the muscles of the lower leg. It's called intermittent claudication syndrome. Pain in the lower leg when walking occurs most often for this reason.
… to the touch there are painful bumps and swellings under the skin - signs of thrombophlebitis;
... the pain is very strong after walking, but it goes away if you sit for a while; such symptoms are in thrombophlebitis and intermittent claudication. These diseases are very serious, and going to the doctor should not be postponed under any circumstances.
If your leg hurts very much in the lower part of the shin when you try to walk, then most likely the Achilles tendon has been damaged due to overuse , or you have inflammation of the tendon . Contact your surgeon immediately for examination and treatment. The leg needs rest.
If the pain arises as a result of an injury, but the muscles of the lower leg hurt (the Achilles tendon is not damaged) , then on the first day it is better to lie down and raise the sore leg higher, above the level of the heart. Apply ice for 20 minutes after 2 hours. Make a not too tight bandage on the shin. It is better to use an elastic bandage. Using a heating pad on the first day is prohibited! Heat will only increase swelling and pain.
Three days after the injury, moist heat, such as a terry towel soaked in hot water, can be applied.
You can also rub a pain reliever on your injured leg. Dolobene gel helps very well. Squeeze the gel out of the tube onto a clean palm, and with light movements, without pressure, rub the gel into your leg. It is useful to wrap your foot in a terry towel afterwards to keep warm. Heat helps muscles relax and the injury goes away faster.
And also, if the pain occurs as a result of an injury, you can buy a painkiller at the pharmacy - ibuprofen tablets, and take them one at a time in the morning, afternoon, and at night. However, if the pain does not subside after a week, you should consult a doctor.
Until complete recovery, avoid anything that requires a lot of strain on your legs: don’t walk in the mountains, don’t climb high stairs, don’t ride a bike, don’t jump.
Smoking aggravates atherosclerosis of the arteries of the legs. And this is the cause of circulatory problems. And don’t delay in contacting a surgeon for help.
These tight-fitting elastic knee socks lightly compress the dilated veins, preventing them from expanding even further, and reduce pain.
If knee socks don’t help, seriously think about surgery to remove dilated veins. Such an operation is not dangerous, and will radically relieve you of the threat of vein thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
The best prevention of shin pain is exercises aimed at stretching and strengthening the muscles. Warm up your muscles before exercise. To do this, take a hot shower, or pour hot water over your shins.
Place your palms against the wall. Place one foot in front of the second foot, and place the heel of the first foot on the floor, and turn the toe slightly inward. Bend the knee of this leg.
Continuing to lean on the wall, lean forward. Make sure the heel of the leg behind you is on the floor.
Sitting on the floor and stretching out your toes, try to grab them with your hands and pull them towards you. The calf muscles will be stretched. If you can't reach your socks, use a towel, drape it over your socks, and then pull them by the ends of the towel.
It’s even better to do this stretching as written here (exercise 24). At the same time, instead of the heel, grab the toe (toes) of your foot and pull it towards you.
Sit on a chair and raise and lower your heels. Or, as an option, while standing, hold onto a support and rise and fall “on tiptoes.” Do at least 30 times. If it hurts, stop. It's better to rest than to harm yourself.
Stand on a stair step, standing on your front foot only, with your heel hanging down. Hold on to the railing. Rise up on your tiptoes and lower yourself slowly. When lowering, the heel should be below the level of the step. If it hurts too much, stop. Gradually, when the muscles of the lower leg become stronger, there will be no pain.
With intermittent claudication syndrome, it is walking that causes pain, but at the same time it is the first remedy for treating this disease. You need to walk until you feel the pain getting worse from walking. Lengthen your route every day and it will become easier for you. Gradually, the pain in the lower leg when walking will cease to bother you.
However, this does not cancel a visit to the surgeon about intermittent claudication.
When injured or overloaded calf muscles hurt, rub and stretch them to prevent adhesions from forming in the muscles. Rub the calf muscles with circular pressing movements of your thumb.
Do the massage using any oil, but it is advisable to apply lavender oil. Massage helps the pain in the lower leg to subside, the muscles relax, and the leg becomes easier.
Take care of your feet - wear comfortable shoes such as sneakers more often. If the rules of your place of work require you to wear dress shoes, change your shoes after work and go outside in something simpler .
Do not wear worn-out or worn-out shoes. It loses its shock-absorbing properties. Your legs may hurt for this very reason.
Reduce the impact of flat feet on leg pain. Use insoles and arch supports. They increase the shock-absorbing properties of shoes by 30% and reduce the load on the muscles of the lower leg and foot.
I hope these tips helped you or your relatives and friends.
Be healthy! Sincerely, Vladimir Belov, author
Chronic colitis is one of the most common diseases in children, which is based on inflammation and degeneration of the mucous membrane with a functional disorder of the colon.
The relevance of diseases of the venous system is due to many reasons, primarily their wide prevalence throughout the world, the constant increase in incidence, and the high level of disability. It is believed that 12-16% of the world's population.
My husband had pain in his left leg for more than a month and complained about its rapid fatigue when walking. Then it swelled. We went to the local hospital to see a surgeon. The doctor sent me for examination to the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnepropetrovsk. My husband underwent Dopplerography of the veins of the lower extremities, but in a hospital in Dneprodzerzhinsk. The common femoral vein on the left is narrowed to 3.5 mm, it is impossible. (something unintelligible) signs of recanalization. Conclusion: Thrombosis of the common femoral vein of the left extremity with signs of recanalization in the popliteal segment. Is such an examination and conclusion not enough to prescribe treatment? The doctor whom they turned to for help refuses to prescribe treatment and still sends me to the Mechnikov Hospital. Why might this be so important? It's inconvenient for us to get there. Once we went there was no doctor. Having visited three hospitals in Dnepropetrovsk, they left with nothing. Maybe you can recommend treatment for your husband based on the diagnosis stated above. I smeared my leg with troxerutin gel, the swelling and pain went away, but when I walk for more than an hour, the pain reappears. What to do?
We sit almost all the time; after sitting for a long time, I began to notice that I had heaviness in my legs and a burning sensation, as if someone was pouring hot blood through the veins behind me, along the entire length of my legs, especially down in my shins. After childbirth (16 years ago), a small vascular network formed under the knees, and in the last 3-5 years, all over the legs with lesions 3-4 cm in diameter. Is there any way to deal with this and get rid of it? Please tell me.
I had an MRI done on December 1, 2010. Description: On a series of MRI scans, the axis of the spine from the midline in the lumbar region is slightly deviated to the left. The height of L4-L5, L5-S1 m/p disks has been reduced; the intensity of the MR signal from them, on T2 VI, is reduced due to dehydration. In the adjacent subchondral areas of the L5, S1 vertebral bodies there are areas of fatty degeneration. Circular protrusion of the L4 - L5 m/n disc, which protrudes into the spinal canal and m/n foramen (mainly left) up to 3.7 mm. Protrusion of the L5 - S1 m/n disc, which protrudes into the spinal canal up to 2.0 mm. The spinal cord along the visible length is b/o. The anteroposterior size of the spinal canal at the L3 level is 14.4 mm. Conclusion: Protrusion of m/n discs. MR signs of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine (at the level L4 - S1). Scoliotic curvature of the spinal column at the level under study. In words they said that there is a hernia but not yet enough to write in conclusion - if you are treated, growth may stop.
The neurologist prescribed treatment, went to work and at the same time received treatment (from December 2 to December 23, injections, tablets - amplipulse and magnet procedures) and it became worse. December 24, 2010. I went on sick leave and received 3 IVs with a pain relief complex. I couldn’t walk for more than 30 minutes; my right leg gave way during this time from 3 to 5 times inward toward my left leg. It was painful to walk, stand and naturally sleep at night. The pain was cramp-type, numbness appeared in the foot, first the big toe, by the end of the 3rd day, the floor of the foot became numb and still does not go away. 01/05/2011 admitted to the hospital, stayed there for 15 days - drips every day, 11.01 they did a CT scan
Computed tomography: L 3-4-circular IVD protrusion - 3 mm
L4-5 against the background of circular protrusion, dorsal medial IVD hernia - 6.8 mm, stenosis of the cortical canals.
L5-S1 dorsal protrusion of the IVD 4 mm, its “vacuum phenomenon”
Conclusion: hernia L 4-5 md. Protrusions L3-4, 4-5-5-S1. Dystrophy of the nucleus pulposus L5-S1 IVD. Spondyloarthrosis
Diagnosis: right posterolateral hernia of L4-L5 MPO with compression of the L5 root. Persistent severe pain radicular syndrome on the right. Kyphoscoliosis stage II.
Recommended: surgical treatment. Discharged on 19.0111. on an open sick leave. Diagnosis: Rosemary osteochondrosis of the ridge with significant manifestations of the cervical and transverse veins, stage III. Right posterolateral carina L4 -L5 mhd with compression of the crown L5. Stable expression of pain, corintsevy sm. Kyphoscoliosis II stage. NFC IIst. PBMH IIst.
Likuvannya: dexalgin, no-spa, dexazone, L-lysine, furosemide, asparkam, milgama, movalis, mildrocard, eglonil, lotren, airtal, mydocalm, xefocam, tripas, tizanidine, declac gel. Written out from the division according to the completed lines of the stationary license. Stan of middle.st.importance. Painful expressions in peace. Impaired walking function. Numbness is maintained along the L5 right side. Prompt treatment is indicated. Recommended: learn nutrition about prompt nutrition. Since 20.01 I have been sick at home, the numbness of the foot does not go away, and I am constantly plagued by cramping pain in my right leg. When you touch the foot, the pain is as if the body is recovering from anesthesia (a finger is broken or cut to the living). I walk with a cane short distances around the house or in the clinic, after 5 minutes I get tired, my legs give way - I need to sit down to rest. The pain in my leg is constantly present, especially now in the ankle and shin itself. Lying down, it is impossible to turn over from the pain in the right buttock, immediately accompanied by cramping pain throughout the entire leg. I try to do at least some exercise, it only lasts for 5 minutes, in a dream I wake up from pain after the body reflexively wants to pull up an arm or leg, sometimes even just movements heads. I'm afraid to have an operation, people are intimidated by the idea that the hernia will recur in a couple of years in the same place. Is conservative treatment possible? Where is the best place to have surgery, how much money do you need to prepare? Is laser therapy possible?
Pain in the shin , the part of the leg between the knee and ankle, can occur in people of any age. At a young age, if such pains suddenly appear and disappear just as suddenly, then most often they are not paid attention to. In adulthood, if pain manifests itself both during movement and at rest, then this begins to worry. But it may also be that the pain simultaneously affects the foot - the lower part of the leg. And this is where they usually remember that there are hospitals and doctors, and, of course, they receive the necessary treatment... for the spine. Why do you need a spine if your legs hurt? Because pain in the feet and legs, numbness and tingling, first of all, signal problems associated with a person’s vital core - his spine. Pain in the legs may indicate incipient radiculitis, osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine, intervertebral hernia, hormonal and endocrine disorders, severe stress and many other diseases. Therefore, the sooner you seek advice from a specialist, the faster and easier it will be to eliminate the problem of its occurrence.
Now let's focus on periodic pain in the feet and legs . For example, you have always worn high heels, but now your comfortable shoes, which have helped you more than once in marathon runs, cause pain in your feet. Or, even at home in the warm season, the soles of your feet remain icy under the blanket, or even your knees seem to be “twisted” by someone. If these and other situations are familiar to you, then you should not wait for it to “go away on its own”; rush to consult a neurologist. Today you no longer have to stand in a long line to see a good specialist. You can sign up for a consultation at a time convenient for you and by calling the numbers listed on the website. But what is no less convenient is that if a blatant and haunting question arises about problems with the spine or joints, you do not need to ask a neighbor who “also had this” - you can go straight to the doctor by calling.
Many people, having experienced the first and even multiple signs of an incipient disease, deliberately delay visiting a doctor or do not go to the appointment at all, due to mistrust in medicine. For such distrustful and indecisive people, let us dwell in more detail on the examination procedure itself. What can you expect from the examination? An accurate diagnosis that will help the doctor prescribe an individual and optimal treatment for you and, most importantly, find the cause of your illness, and not just relieve painful symptoms. Diagnostics consists of several stages, which include mandatory visual inspection and testing. The second stage is an x-ray examination or tomography (computer or magnetic resonance imaging) and, if necessary, an ultrasound examination.
Depending on the diagnosis, it will be possible to carry out treatment using various methods. The clinic for a healthy spine and joints uses only conservative treatment methods, which include a number of procedures aimed at using the resources of the body itself through physical therapy, massage, therapeutic exercises, various therapies and much more.