Hi everyone, I'm suffereing from shin splints (ouch), caused by high impact training outdoors on conrete, with totally innapropriate footwear. Why I thought it would be ok I do not know, but now I am paying the price. So I'm looking into getting a pair of new trainers/sneakers. I'm not entirely sure what kind of shoe I should be looking at? I train in taekwondo once a week outdoors, so lots of jumping about (in addition to two sessions a week indoors, but thats on a sprung floor). Would a decent pair of running shoes cut it? I over-pronate, so could get properly fitted with a pair at a running shop.....i'm just unsure of running shoes would be the ideal for martial arts?
Yeah a decent running shoe should do the trick spend a good few ££/$$$ on them it should protect you form high impact. Its often the problem people tend to find when they run on the streets. Not enough padding to absorb the impact
I've no probelm spending out if it helps my feet/shins. The shin prob is making indoor classes almost unbearable, which very frustrating, as Ive just started back after a couple of years.
Talk to a specialist shop, but it might be worth going for more of a cross trainer than a dedicated running shoe. The twisting and direction changes of TKD training aren't what a running shoe is designed for so they might not give the right support for that kind of movement. Good shoes don't have to be hugely expensive, Saucony and others don't have the cache of Nike and similar brands so don't carry the extra "label price", but as Doug says it's worth spending for the right pair. Hope you get it sorted, I've had shin splints myself and they can be pretty painful! Mitch
I'll pop down to my local running shop soon and see what they say. Been resting for what feels like forever, and the shin splints came back almost immediately after my second class. Very annoying. My own fault entirely though. Thanks for advice all.
You must have 'em bad to feel them in TKD ... if you haven't already, tell your instructor & get yourself let off any running around the dojang as part of the warm up. Plus, no more running outside of course Best wishes for a recovery.
How do you know you have shin splints? If you do have shin splints, how do you know what caused it? What footwear have you been wearing outdoors? Have you seen a doctor? Have you seen a podiatrist? (If you haven't, you should). Do you have any other problems with your feet or legs? Are you an overpronator? What type of footwear do you wear everyday? Shin splints are not always just caused by high impact training on unforgiveing surfaces. There can be underlying issues. In short, see a proper podiatrist. They can identify any issues, as well as help correct them if needed. Plus, their footwear advice is second to none. Much better than the local mugs at the nearby footwear store.
Admittedly, I've self-diagnosed, with no consultation with doctor or podiatrist, so what I think is shin splints, could be something completely different/worse. I merely going on the symptoms, and the fact I know I over pronate (physio told me so) AND that I was wearing poor footwear on concrete, and jumping about lots. I do have dodgy knees; have dislocated one about ten years ago, and had them bashed around lots by falls while roller skating (with and without padding). Not sure if weight would have anything to do with it, but I am a little overweight. My everyday footwear - Vans/DC skate shoes, Uggs, martial arts shoes. So pretty much no support whatsoever. I also don't wear insoles. The club that I train at right now train on wooden floors (sprung I think), and it hurts to run. There is another club I used to train at who train on mats, and am wondering now about my choice of club, and whether it might be worth talking to my instructor about the long term. I will also say that this club spends no time at all stretching (5 mins), and it feels to me thats its kind of up to us as individuals to make sure we have stretched in our own time (not always possible before a class).
lol... TKD is lots of jumping, I would have thought TKD would be a sport to aggravate the prob, no? But yes, no running will help, as it kills me. And thank you
The trouble with shin splints is that the symptoms are very similar to other things, particularly stress fractures. The only real cure for stress fractures is rest. Rest can also help with shin splints as well. Being overweight can make things worse just because it increases the amount of force coming down when you are running or doing other high impact activities. Stretching shouldn't be too much of an issue with this. Have a look around in the stretching forum for some ideas on the proper type of pre-exercise stretching. You might actually be getting more of it than you think. I would still strongly recommend seeing a podiatrist or at least at first a sports doctor so you can get a proper diagnosis. Especially if it hurts to run. A podiatrist will be able to give you orthodics if you need them and give expert advice on shoe models. And if you do end up needing orthodics, the type of shoe they go in can be different to what would be best for you to wear without them. So it gets complicated. There are better shoes out there. The brands I've found usually recommend to over pronators are Brooks and and sometimes Asics and New Balance. Also remember it can matter more what you wear during the day rather than the comparitively short time you are active. But yeah, see an expert.
Try some newbalance or ascis, they are around $49.99-$100.00. They are pretty good. (Like Righty said)
I put off getting a new pair of trainers due to the cost, however I went to a specialist shop called Sweatshop, where they video'd me running on a treadmill. When I saw how badly I was landing it was quite a shock. They then fitted me with trainers to correct the particular problem I had and re-video's me. The play back recording was a revelation. Worth the £ 80.00.
I just posted a new thread on it, but basically I took myself off to physio. Ive to have long term treatment, some proper shoe inserts made up, and def no TKD, at least for the next few months while it gets better. I suspect that as I have spakky feet, this will be a long term problem :/
Oh thats great! I'm pleased for you Were you in pain, or you just needed new shoes? Its amazing, the smallest misallignment can cause so many problems. I'm having orthotics made up for me, £££££ but my feet will thank me.
I had a back problem that I could not cure, so got checked out at the running shop. Turns out it was not the cause of the problem, but as I was running at that time and after seeing the running footage I went for the trainers as it can only help. One of our students (a fitness instructor) had problems with his knees (so he thought) that was causing so much pain that he could hardly walk up the stairs. He went to the European School of Osteopathy and they diagnosed a problem with his left heel. This caused an imbalance which caused the pain to travel up his leg through his hips and affect both knees, so not a knee problem at all. He said that the treatment was quite painfull, but without a proffesionals help, he would have been doing the incorrect exercises for rehab. Buy the trainers, but see a specialist if the problem persists.
Yay for professional help! I think it human nature to ignore problems though, in the hope that they will go away. In my case I masked it all with painkillers and thought I knoew best, and have learnt the hard way this was really stupid. I'll sort orthotics out first, as I can swap them between shoes as needed. I'm no runner, so no fussed about running shoes, but I'll see what the proffs have to say!
