Image credit: Annie White

Reader Koryjane1979 posted in StrongLifts.com Forum:

3 times a week I attempt to do sprints at the track for my intervals. I feel like I am getting a good workout until after when I feel the pain in my shins and sometimes the muscles around my knees.

I don’t get sore at any other time, just after sprints. I run on the track so that it won’t be so jarring on my joints. Is there stretches I can do after that will decrease the pain I feel? Or am I running incorrectly during the sprints?

Why Do You Get Shin Splints? Shin splints is a blanket term. Lack of recovery, like too much sprinting, can result in shin splints. But often there’s more going on. Koryjane1979 mentioned knee pain too.

• Bad Footwear. Wearing shoes with heels can limit the range of motion of your dorsiflexors and tighten your plantarflexors over time.
• Limited Ankle Mobility. Limited dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and tight plantarflexors force your body to compensate mobility elsewhere.
• External Rotated Feet. Lack of ankle mobility will make your feet turn outward, while your lower-/upper-leg will turn internally to compensate.

Why You Should Look Into This. Lack of ankle mobility forces your feet out and turns your hip inward. This causes loss of external hip rotation ROM, which can force your knees/lower back to compensate mobility.

You understand shin splints, but also plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinosis, are just the tip of the iceberg. Often there’s a lot more going on, which can result in lower back pain or knee pain or your knees buckling in on Squats.

Why Women Should Really Look Into This. Women have an increased Q-angle compared to men: wider hips, narrow knees. Couple this with the chronic wear of high heels, and you understand why women are more prone to ACL injuries.

By the way, the increased Q-angle is part of the reason why women often have a harder time keeping their knees out on Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, etc.

Image credit: Doctor Latino.

How to Treat Shin Splints. Chances are your sprinting technique isn’t optimal. Stop sprinting for now so your shins recover. In the meanwhile:

• Improve Ankle Mobility. Both plantarflexors and dorsiflexors. Do the exercises from the ankle mobility post and from this & this video.
• Strengthen Your Dorsiflexors. DARD work, Seated Dumbbell Dorsiflexion, Barbell Reverse Calf Raises, etc
• Wear Flat Shoes. Chuck Taylor All Stars for Squats & Deadlifts. Nike Frees for running. Women: drop the high heels at home.
• Go Barefoot. Do all your dynamic stretching exercises barefoot. Walk barefoot at home as much as you can.
• Improve Hip Mobility. You’re probably tight in there. Do the exercises from the hip mobility post, get Magnificent Mobility if you need more.
• Soft Tissue Work. Feet & calves: toes up/in, rotate in/out. Foam roll the rest too while you’re at it. Read the Soft Tissue Work guide.
• Strengthen Your Posterior Chain. Deadlifts, Rack Pulls, Box Squats, Glute Ham Raises, Pull-throughs, Reverse Hypers, Reverse Lunges, …