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We do:
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Almost every runner I have met knew or heard of Shin Splints, one of the common running injuries that inflicts pain at the front side of the shins. It comes and goes in some cases, and sticks for long in some unfortunate runners.
Some people relate it to running shoes, because once they change shoes the problem goes away. Some believe it never happens in barefoot running. Their explanations are not very accurate although they might get these solutions to work for them. The basic issue with these solutions is they do not discover the cause of the problem first; they go straight to prescription.
Types of Shin Splints
There are two types of Shin Splints each linked to a different muscle:
Type 1: linked to Soleus muscle with the function of plantar flexion
Type 2: linked to Tibialis Anterior with the function of dorsi flexion
Functions of these muscles
One end of Soleus is on Tibia bone also known as shin bone, and the other end merges with Gastrocnemius, or the calf muscle, into Achilles tendon. Soleus plays a dominant role in moving toes away from the shins (plantar flexion) when the knee is bent. If the knee is not much bent, Gastrocnemius (calf) comes in more effectively at plantar flexion. This action is called push-off or pawback in Pose running lexicon.
Tibialis Anterior moves toes towards the shins, called dorsi flexion. One end is on Tibia bone (shin) and the other end goes to the foot.
Type 1 shin splints and Soleus Muscle
One scenario I suspect the soleus muscle would be used much is pushing off the ground right after landing deep on the knee. The knee is bent so that soleus is used more than calf muscle to move toes away from the shin.
I have had clients with cadence slower than 180 at their jogging pace. I helped them manage removing toe push off but they still had a push somewhere. Further investigation with slow motion video analysis transpired that there was a knee push off in the running cycle and that starts with landing deep on the knees, to load the knee for a good push. That significantly slows the stride rate due to the range of motion of knee joint. Going back to when they still had the toe push off on top of the landing deep on the knees, they would have to push off the ground to compensate for the delay caused by landing deep on the knees to maintain the momentum/pace. The push of course starts from the lowest point during landing when Soleus is more dominant than Calf muscle.
Here is how pushing off the ground can result shin splints in my own understanding.
Type 2 shin splints and Tibialis Anterios
Over-striding and landing ahead of the body is ubiquitous these days. While the comfortable cushioning in popular running shoes mitigate the damage by protecting some parts of foot and leg locally, the magnitude of such landing impacts other parts anyway. Landing ahead of the body usually comes with landing on heel. Note that landing ahead of the body can also happen in fore-foot landing and I have seen runners doing that. If the runner allows the heel to gently land, then it should be shin-splints safe; otherwise if toes are actively lifted to expose the heel to the ground first then there would be a good chance for this type of shin splints. There are running shoes that hold your toes up so you would not have to drosi flex to expose your heels (Ok, no hard feeling, let say it is because shoe makers love you and want you to feel comfortable at running) … and I never recommend going down such track. It is like counting on fat-removal surgery to binge on food. Better stop the wrong doing in the first place, do not you agree?
Here is how active heel striking can cause such shin splints, and it is all my understanding shared in here.
Thanks for stopping by to read this. Sometimes I feel like I am standing in the middle of a crazy highway yelling at fast passing cars: “stop using fossil fuel, switch to solar!”
What I am going to share with you here is exactly the story of sustainable energy versus unsustainable one resembled in the context of running. We all know solar panels are expensive (it is quite an investment). We know hybrid cars like Toyota Prius or electric cars like Tesla’s are expensive, but they help building a better future. The benefits of using sustainable energy come in a long run, same as correct/efficient/sustainable running that I am discussing here.
There is a different way of running that can save you a lot of energy while being at the most optimum form to avoid injuries. It is like learning a new dance move but scientifically removes physical pressure from your body to some good extent.
It all starts with one simple fact: we do not have to generate energy for propulsion. So how to move forward? Only fall like a timber tree and catch yourself at the end. Can you do it in form of a smooth and fast running? The answer is yes, and that is what I teach. If you want to know more, google “Pose Method of Running” or watch this:
I observe outdoor recreational runners and usually find one runner per week running correctly – or very close to Pose – out of hundreds iterating the same ubiquitous inefficient technique: pushing off the ground + landing ahead of the body (usually landing on heels first).
The shoe industry does something that looks divine in the first glance. They truly try to protect your feet. Putting aside the relatively small minimalist shoes production, the rest of the industry manufactures shoes that mainly:
Mitigate the harmful impact of landing ahead of the body
Help with effective push-off the ground
I do not blame the shoe industry for not telling you how to run correctly and instead monetising what people prefer to do (would not you do that too if you could?! or what is wrong with you?!) What I am to blame is runners for naive thinking that running is their second nature persuming there is not much to learn.
Our ancestor cavemen went through an experience since their childhood that we do not: they ran barefoot all the time, telling from the sensations (mostly pain) in the bottom of their feet how to tread to have the least impact to their body (lasting long chasing preys) while being able to run as fast as possible.
At our age, the situation is terrible. We learn walking and running in shoes. There are even shoes for new borns! Parents out of pure honest love for their toddlers buy shoes with elevated heels and arch support too. All of these deter us from naturally learning how to run efficiently. Well, we no longer run for survival but if you pick running seriously you better spend time to learn its basics properly to make the right choices including what type of shoes suit you.
If you choose to learn Pose, prepare yourself to get humble, but trust me, your running will feel like flying once you start running in Pose.
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