Pain in Lower Leg

Has anyone got any suggestions? I have pain along the inside of my right lower leg, it starts about an inch or 2 above the ankle and runs up for a few inches along the line of the edge of the shin bone along the inside. It feels like the pain is in conecting tissue rather than the muscle itself and is worse after I have been running. I did a 3 runs over 3 days last week - about 3 miles on the 1st 2 days and then 12 on the 3rd and I was almost limping!

I usually run approximately 40 to 50 miles per week (in and out of work a few times with a ruck sack). I have also previously noticed some discomfort in the joint at the base of my big toe and along the arch of my right foot and also in the knee joint - I wouldn't describe it as pain but just a feeling that something's loose or not right! I thought it may be heel spurs or collapsed arches after scanning the internet, but they both emphasise pain in the arch and around the heel - my heel is perfectly fine, no pain there so I'm not sure.

I'm wondering if I should get shoes with a good arch support - used to have some Addidas which were comfortable, or even orthoses/arch supports, but don't know where to get these from.

I haven't run for about a week and the pain has subsided a bit, but I'm desperate to get back to the streets. Has anyone please got any ideas??!

Comments

  • OUCH....sounds like shin splints. I've been trying to sort mine out since January. You could need orthotics like me but you wont know til you go to a professional.

    My advice is don't try and work it out on your own. Go to a physio, and/or a sports podiatrist and get yourself checked out.

    Google shin splints and you should find some exercises to help...I have to do mine EVERY day.

    Regarding the foot problem - I've no idea when it comes to that but a podiatrist will be able to help you with that, and shoe recommendations taking into consideration everything else!

    There is a lot of good info on here in the forums about shin splints so take time for a nosy through.

    Good luck and keep us posted!
  • Hmmm, just had a look at the internet. Don't think it's that, it says that shin splints cause pain on the outside of the lower leg, which is sensitive to shock. This is very much along the inside of the lower leg and it's more a sharp pain as I walk/run and my leg moves not due to impact

    I can't help thinking that it's something to connected with the knee and the arch, but I don't know... Re podiatrists and physios - do you need to be referred by a GP or can you just go along?
  • My shin splint is on the inside of the leg, not the outside. Shin splints cover many things...one of which is tendonitis (my problem). That is usually one of two major tendons - one on the outside and one on the inside.

    So it could still be that and it does still sound like it to me - the same sort of pain I had. Is it worse going up and down stairs?

    It probably is all interconnected...from the hips down everything is.

    Podiatrist and physio, you could try the GP route but you will be waiting forever. I decided to pay myself...pennies I didn't have but I needed to get going again!
  • mark,

    medial tibial stess syndrom is like shin splints on the inner side of the leg, this and the big tendon on top of your toe runs up the shin in this area, if this is damaged then it could cause this pain, this often happens when the foot is excessively pronated or the shoe is not supportive enough or is worn out

    you can get an appointment with a physio or a podiatrist without a refferal, but you will need to go private and get your wallet out, do make sure that whoever you see has experience in dealing with ruunning injuries

    good luck
  • Thanks for the advice.... It doesn't seem to get worse when I go upstairs, but I did wonder about tendonitis - had that in my wrist 18 moths ago, although that pain was more of an ache. I get this pain as I walk after running as though something is rubbing or inflamed.

    I think I'll have to go along to the GP 1st at least and definitely get new shoes, got 3 pairs - 1 old Addidas pair which I really like but are quite worn now, a pair of Asics 2120 and a pair of Brooks. I over pronate and the Addidas pair seem to provide most support of the 3

    Probably good to rest it a bit for a while too I suppose, but it's frustrating not being able to go running, great way to get to work/skip the awful rush hour public transport in London!
  • Welcomne to the forum mark.

    GP will tell you to stop running, simple as.
    (some may help but rare)
    Fine a good pod.

    Your symptoms sound like something my better half has.
    She will be along in a bit to talk about it.
  • Mark:

    My symptoms are exactly like yours and as Footman suggested it was medial tibial stess syndrome caused by excess pronation, and made worse by a particular pair of trainers (this is in compination to a forefoot problem linked to my pronation in that my big toes take a lot of strain trying to balance me, as could be seen on the footscan).

    I needed loads of massage as the inside lower leg got really really tight and sore. Many trigger-pointing sessions later and its much improved. Its an area virtually impossible to stretch, but I can get a bit of a stretch on it squatting on tiptoes and dipping the heels. I was also told (Footman may be able to confirm this) that its an areas which is notoriously badly circulated and applying heat helps to oxygenate the area and helps it heal. Also plenty of self massage at home, heat patches, deep heat... It took a while but I think mine was quite entrenched.

    I also have orthotics now. I haven't run for a couple of weeks to rest it and the proof will be in the pudding when I start again.

    Fingers crossed for you.
  • Thanks for your help, sounds right. When I crouch down it feels like I'm stretching the problem area (arch, onside front of shin) and that seems to help a bit. I also do that stretch for the back of the lower leg/ankle - leaning up against a wall/hands on the wall with right leg bent in front of the left and foot flat. That also feels good.

    I have also done my own massage of the painful area (when I say massage I mean poke at it a bit!) and this seems to help. I haven't run at all for a week now and the pain is still there, although has subsided a bit and the "massage" is not as painful to do as before as the area isn't so sensitive

    Interesting that you were recommended to heat the area, Nam. I always though it was ice, ice, ice all the way with these things... To be honest I haven't tried ice or heat, I have sort of been relying on the rest sorting it out....

    I think I should find a decent podiatrist... Anyone know any in London?!

    Nam, where did you get the orthotics from? Were they tailor made or off the shelf?
  • Yes...
    I always thought ice, ice, ice... but then I was told only ice for up to 48 hours to reduce any swelling and then heat to oxygenate the area and help it heal. I iced a long time and was subsequently told I delayed the healing by preventing that vital oxygenation and it did seem to take a long time to heal?

    Self massage... mine felt like bubble wrap under the skin/muscle/towards the bone... really weird. Rest, stretching, warmth, deep heat cream and massage eventually did it. Havent run on it yet mind, but it used to hurt while walking and it doesnt anymore.
  • ice to reduce swelling bruising and the intitial pain, then heat to dilate the blodd vessels to increase blood flow to the muscle the induce healing spot on Nam
  • Interesting. Mine doesn't feel like bubble wrap, just feels the same as the other side but it does hurt a little when I walk, although not excrutiatingly. I'll get a hot water bottle to it later to see if that helps...
  • Thanks for your help, sounds right. When I crouch down it feels like I'm stretching the problem area (arch, onside front of shin) and that seems to help a bit. I also do that stretch for the back of the lower leg/ankle - leaning up against a wall/hands on the wall with right leg bent in front of the left and foot flat. That also feels good.

    I have also done my own massage of the painful area (when I say massage I mean poke at it a bit!) and this seems to help. I haven't run at all for a week now and the pain is still there, although has subsided a bit and the "massage" is not as painful to do as before as the area isn't so sensitive

    Interesting that you were recommended to heat the area, Nam. I always though it was ice, ice, ice all the way with these things... To be honest I haven't tried ice or heat, I have sort of been relying on the rest sorting it out....

    I think I should find a decent podiatrist... Anyone know any in London?!

    Nam, where did you get the orthotics from? Were they tailor made or off the shelf?
  • spot on Nam

    ahhh... she lives and learns!! *bows to Footman*
    Its called trial and error... LOL!!

    I iced mine until the cows came home and it never got better, then saw 2nd pod (my first one was crap!) who told me I was virtually starving my leg of the oxygen it was needing to get better. The moment I applied warmth it improved.

    Mark my orthotics are custom made CAD/CAM jobbies but I have feet from hell so you may not need that? Some peeps do really well the the OTC blue running orthotics you can get in BOOTS. Its best you get a proper assessment though. :-)
  • Mark, word of warning if you do try OTC orthotics, don't do what I did and run 6 miles on them straight away. I haven't run since.
    Good luck with it bud
  • Yeah I may not need orthotics and suppose I should just get a professional to look me over! Internet descriptions of medial tibial stress syndrome mentioned by Footman seems to describe it quite accurately, hopefully it hasn't gone beyond that to a stress fracture, although don't have a clue how I would know if it had. Must admit, I did carry on running after the pain had started niggling, just hoping it would go away on its own, but it didn't. Just hope I didn't push it too far!
  • Hey Nam,
    I dont know if you've started back running yet (or you Mark) but I have exactly what you guys have, and like Nam, I was icing it after every run and then every night.
    After reading your posts I thought Id give the Deep Heat a try - fantastic results, this really really works. Another thing I found has really helped is just before I run, I vigourously rub the inside of my shins with the palm of my hand for a couple of minutes to warm them up. after I ran yesterday I hardly felt any of my usual symptoms.

    Hope this helps
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  • Yes, "manipulating" the area of pain by rubbing it with the palm or kneading it with the fingers definitely seems to help, however was quite painful to do initially. The only thing that still concerns me a bit is that the arch and knee in the same leg still feel strange - not painful, just a bit unusual and my right knee and ankle "crack" more than the left when I'm walking.

    I haven't run at all for over a week now and the pain has subsided but it's still there so I think I'd better let it go away completely before I start running again, and I'll get some new shoes. It's frustrating to have to wait around... I'm going to have to start doing more cycling and swimming to keep the fitness up!
  • I sympathise with your frustration Mark. I hate not running

    I started again after a '10 year get fat, smoke loads and drink like a fish' break. I was pleased that my body seemed to be much like it was when I was a youth. I went from 1 to 2 to 4 to 6 miles in the space of a just a few months. Then after 6 miles on 3 consecutive days I got this strange warm feeling up my shins that just got progressively worse over the next few weeks. That was about 3 months ago
    I have stopped and started 2 more times since then waiting for them to recover, of course this time Im being a lot more careful and only running every other day, being over cautious about warming up and sticking to 2 milers until my shins have got used to it fully. I still get light twinges though - hence the deep heat and rubbing

    Im frustrated cos most of my body - including my mind, wants to run and run but my bloody shins just let me down.

    Good luck for the recovery mate.
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  • Great heat is doing the trick Ad.

    In terms of manipulating the area, I've become a huge fan of this jobbie. http://www.thestick.com/ I carried on running hoping it would just go away to a point where I could no longer do 2 miles without pain and ended up limping home and crying on my doorstep in frustration. That stick thing is fab for DIY massage before a run, and after (in combo with stretching).
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