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Shin Splints, Tendonitis or Stress Fracture

BiggBlue223

BiggBlue
Time of past OR future Camino
2017 Camino Frances
2018 Frances
2018 Portuguese
2019 Primitivo
I left from StJPP on 13th September this year with a lot of good advice and a fair degree of preparation. The most important advice being look after your feet, and start slowly. The first day was glorious weather and the climb steeper than I had imagined but I have walked a lot in Scotland and learnt to slow down and manage my breathing, so though tiring it was not as difficult as I could see others were finding it.

I found myself from the second day onwards going a little further than planned as I felt good and was sustaining a good pace. I arrived in Burgos after 11 days instead of 13 days as scheduled. I rested a day then set off again into the Meseta. After Castrojeriz there is in the middle of the flat area a sudden steep climb (14%) and descent (18%) which I remember going up slowly and as I came down thinking this is very steep and putting a lot of strain on my shins. About three hours later I got a pain on the front of my right shin. I guessed it was a strain and would recover after a good nights sleep. The next day it was still sore and getting worse by the end of the next day it was very sore, and I was using Volterin gel plus strapping to no effect the shin was now red and inflammed. I sent a photo to my brother in law who is a doctor, the next day I walked again and though painful I could manage to hike but was slowing down!

The next morning I got a message, telling me to go straight to hospital as it look like a possible infection (cellulitis), so I got a taxi to Leon (77 km away) and was well looked after by the emergency staff, the doctor told me it was a bad tendonitis, gave me anti-inflammatory meds and told me to rest for a week with my leg elevated. I said I could only manage three days, and she smiled rolled her eyes a little and said 'good luck'.

So three days in a hotel leg packed with ice (ten minutes every hour) gels, meds, beers and prayers appeared to make no difference. on Oct 2nd I set off again and started to walk by the time I got to Astorga the leg was swollen and sore. I knew it wasn't infected, but I also knew others with shin splints and tendonitis had made good recoveries after a few days rest. I hiked up to Cruz De Ferro and the descent into Molinaseca was very painful on the leg.

Other pilgrims who looked at it all said "looks bad you should see a doctor", so I called home and with a very very heavy heart decided my Camino was now over. I made arrangements to go to Madrid and fly back to London the next day.

After arriving in London it was arranged for me to get blood tests and an X-Ray. The bloods were fine and I got a call from the doctor telling me that I had clear evidence of stress fractures on my right tibia. And that i did the right thing to come off the walk, had I continued it would only have gotten worse with the possible outcome of permanent damage. It also explained why the meds, gels strapping etc did nothing to alleviate the condition, and why the swelling just got worse.

My brother in law is an orthopedic surgeon and said shin splints/stress fractures are very hard to diagnose accurately without MRI or x-ray. He added had they x-rayed in Leon nothing would have shown up as stress fractures are so small (but painful).

I think having a 21 year old brain in my 61 year old body would have been the cause of my going too fast at the start, plus maybe I did not prepare myself sufficiently though I did train for a month or so before, and never more then 11km (Mmm there is a clue perhaps). It is possible the orthotic insteps I had put in put too much weight onto the front of my foot, then the steep descent after Castrojeriz was the straw that broke the camels back in my case.

I have 4 weeks leg rest then will return next year march to finish off, (it's not going anywhere) I was very sorry not to finish with the many friends I made along the way, but know beyond any doubt I could not have finished.

Stress fractures I think are a lot more common on the Camino than others imagine so if your pain is not helped by regular painkillers or anti inflammatories, consider stress fracture. It requires you to stop, as it is not only very painful but can cause problems later.

Curiously the weather for me had been amazing three hours of light gentle rain during my camino but that was it, my friends who are almost finished tell me the weather has been great. In fact whilst walking in the MEseta it was regularly 34/35C too hot if anything.

The other memory I have of this trip is how busy the Camino was, so many pilgrims and I was told it was the busiest September on record I think everyone had the same logic.
1. Schools are back, it'll be quieter
2. Colleges are back it'll be quieter
3 Folks are back at work. it'll be quieter
4. It's not too hot in mid Sept,
5. Well I guess all things considered It'll be quieter

Not so, I usually left around 06.30 and there were always people out on the path at that time. If I left at 8AM it was at times like a sponsored walk so many folk. The early folk were in a race for a bed, the later folks tended to have reservations, most people had one story of their albergue being full and having to walk to the next one. Next time I would go a little earlier (March) or later (October), that said it is wonderful to meet so many fantastic folk. And if you have to walk a little further, it'll be quieter. :)
 
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October 2017 will set a record with almost 10,000 more than the 2016 record year, so delaying into October will only help a little bit. It will be better than September, but still not like the good old days! Just as we are no longer 21, the Camino is not 1990...;)
 
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I just got back from the camino on Sunday. Your story is so similar to mine as far as the leg issue. I only started in Astorga though.

My discomfort in the leg didn't pop up until about 3 days out from Santiago. I decided to just ice it at night, and wrap it during the day. Every step was extremely painful. My leg got pretty swollen too. But...I was determined to get to Santiago. I hobbled for 2 days, but made it.

The leg still bothers me a bit and is a bit swollen still, but I can walk pretty good now. I have yet to go to a doctor back home here...I might go have it checked this weekend to be safe.
 
Glad you have got this diagnosed, and are thinking of going back after it heals.

I had a metatarsal (foot) stress fracture at home from wearing stiff hiking boots on several very brisk long walks on concrete. I tried a couple of weeks rest several times, which helped a bit but only temporarily. When I finally went to a podiatrist and was properly diagnosed, he told me I had to seriously stay off it for 6 weeks. That was just 9 weeks before my Camino.

So I followed instructions, wondering if the Camino would be possible. The weeks went by. At 4 weeks, still not healed. At 5 weeks, close but not there. At 6 weeks - Yes, I started some walking. At 7 weeks, back to proper training with no discomfort ever again. I have walked 3 caminos since.

My message is that stress fractures do heal but they need to be rested long enough. Don't compromise on that time, or you may need to go back to square one.

Good luck!
 
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I just got back from the camino on Sunday. Your story is so similar to mine as far as the leg issue. I only started in Astorga though.

My discomfort in the leg didn't pop up until about 3 days out from Santiago. I decided to just ice it at night, and wrap it during the day. Every step was extremely painful. My leg got pretty swollen too. But...I was determined to get to Santiago. I hobbled for 2 days, but made it.

The leg still bothers me a bit and is a bit swollen still, but I can walk pretty good now. I have yet to go to a doctor back home here...I might go have it checked this weekend to be safe.

Good idea, I doubt you will have any longterm injury. I walked 7 days after the onset of pain, I still had 120 miles to go when I threw in the towel, and knew it was way beyond my hobble zone. Well done.
 
Glad you have got this diagnosed, and are thinking of going back after it heals.

I had a metatarsal (foot) stress fracture at home from wearing stiff hiking boots on several very brisk long walks on concrete. I tried a couple of weeks rest several times, which helped a bit but only temporarily. When I finally went to a podiatrist and was properly diagnosed, he told me I had to seriously stay off it for 6 weeks. That was just 9 weeks before my Camino.

So I followed instructions, wondering if the Camino would be possible. The weeks went by. At 4 weeks, still not healed. At 5 weeks, close but not there. At 6 weeks - Yes, I started some walking. At 7 weeks, back to proper training with no discomfort ever again. I have walked 3 caminos since.

My message is that stress fractures do heal but they need to be rested long enough. Don't compromise on that time, or you may need to go back to square one.

Good luck!
Thank you, good advice, all the info i get is 4-8 weeks to make a full recovery, so message received and understood!
 
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I left from StJPP on 13th September this year with a lot of good advice and a fair degree of preparation. The most important advice being look after your feet, and start slowly. The first day was glorious weather and the climb steeper than I had imagined but I have walked a lot in Scotland and learnt to slow down and manage my breathing, so though tiring it was not as difficult as I could see others were finding it.

I found myself from the second day onwards going a little further than planned as I felt good and was sustaining a good pace. I arrived in Burgos after 11 days instead of 13 days as scheduled. I rested a day then set off again into the Meseta. After Castrojeriz there is in the middle of the flat area a sudden steep climb (14%) and descent (18%) which I remember going up slowly and as I came down thinking this is very steep and putting a lot of strain on my shins. About three hours later I got a pain on the front of my right shin. I guessed it was a strain and would recover after a good nights sleep. The next day it was still sore and getting worse by the end of the next day it was very sore, and I was using Volterin gel plus strapping to no effect the shin was now red and inflammed. I sent a photo to my brother in law who is a doctor, the next day I walked again and though painful I could manage to hike but was slowing down!

The next morning I got a message, telling me to go straight to hospital as it look like a possible infection (cellulitis), so I got a taxi to Leon (77 km away) and was well looked after by the emergency staff, the doctor told me it was a bad tendonitis, gave me anti-inflammatory meds and told me to rest for a week with my leg elevated. I said I could only manage three days, and she smiled rolled her eyes a little and said 'good luck'.

So three days in a hotel leg packed with ice (ten minutes every hour) gels, meds, beers and prayers appeared to make no difference. on Oct 2nd I set off again and started to walk by the time I got to Astorga the leg was swollen and sore. I knew it wasn't infected, but I also knew others with shin splints and tendonitis had made good recoveries after a few days rest. I hiked up to Cruz De Ferro and the descent into Molinaseca was very painful on the leg.

Other pilgrims who looked at it all said "looks bad you should see a doctor", so I called home and with a very very heavy heart decided my Camino was now over. I made arrangements to go to Madrid and fly back to London the next day.

After arriving in London it was arranged for me to get blood tests and an X-Ray. The bloods were fine and I got a call from the doctor telling me that I had clear evidence of stress fractures on my right tibia. And that i did the right thing to come off the walk, had I continued it would only have gotten worse with the possible outcome of permanent damage. It also explained why the meds, gels strapping etc did nothing to alleviate the condition, and why the swelling just got worse.

My brother in law is an orthopedic surgeon and said shin splints/stress fractures are very hard to diagnose accurately without MRI or x-ray. He added had they x-rayed in Leon nothing would have shown up as stress fractures are so small (but painful).

I think having a 21 year old brain in my 61 year old body would have been the cause of my going too fast at the start, plus maybe I did not prepare myself sufficiently though I did train for a month or so before, and never more then 11km (Mmm there is a clue perhaps). It is possible the orthotic insteps I had put in put too much weight onto the front of my foot, then the steep descent after Castrojeriz was the straw that broke the camels back in my case.

I have 4 weeks leg rest then will return next year march to finish off, (it's not going anywhere) I was very sorry not to finish with the many friends I made along the way, but know beyond any doubt I could not have finished.

Stress fractures I think are a lot more common on the Camino than others imagine so if your pain is not helped by regular painkillers or anti inflammatories, consider stress fracture. It requires you to stop, as it is not only very painful but can cause problems later.

Curiously the weather for me had been amazing three hours of light gentle rain during my camino but that was it, my friends who are almost finished tell me the weather has been great. In fact whilst walking in the MEseta it was regularly 34/35C too hot if anything.

The other memory I have of this trip is how busy the Camino was, so many pilgrims and I was told it was the busiest September on record I think everyone had the same logic.
1. Schools are back, it'll be quieter
2. Colleges are back it'll be quieter
3 Folks are back at work. it'll be quieter
4. It's not too hot in mid Sept,
5. Well I guess all things considered It'll be quieter

Not so, I usually left around 06.30 and there were always people out on the path at that time. If I left at 8AM it was at times like a sponsored walk so many folk. The early folk were in a race for a bed, the later folks tended to have reservations, most people had one story of their albergue being full and having to walk to the next one. Next time I would go a little earlier (March) or later (October), that said it is wonderful to meet so many fantastic folk. And if you have to walk a little further, it'll be quieter. :)

Wear compression tights I find it helps with shin splints etc. Good luck
 
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Well written report there - but a classic self-imposed disaster tale and hopefully a salutary lesson for anyone who read it.

"I found myself from the second day onwards going a little further than planned as I felt good and was sustaining a good pace."
.... and this is how it starts. So sorry for your pain - most distressing - but your body warned you again and again to stop yet you carried on. We just cannot do this and expect to 'get away with it'. I meet so many pilgrims on Camino (of all ages) who have walked themselves into similar traumas. I know, I know, planning for who knows how long, desperate to be the pilgrim in one's dream - but when the body offers pain to tell you to stop - well, you have to stop and recover before the worse injuries happen - ah, but you know this now :) :(.

That terrain out of Castrojeriz!! Mule-killer hill and then that long descent, a lot of it on concrete!! (actually, is it? my memory is of concrete)

So - one thing we all absolutely must do is to walk as if we are not wearing a pack - and if we cannot do that then the pack is too heavy. Try this - stand straight and relaxed with your arms down by your sides and become conscious of the front of your legs. Now, turn your elbows out a little bit and then lean forward from the waist - you will feel all your muscles and tendons down the front of your legs right on to your feet go into tension and stress - and this is without wearing a pack or moving!! and this is what happens when you lean forward because of the pack.

And this is why one has to walk with the same upright and relaxed posture that one has without a pack - and this is the classic reason to pack light, superlight!!

I do hope that you heal fully and do get to go back on Camino - but next time throw the watch away, have absolutely no regard for where you will be next or where you will stop and just walk in an upright ambling relaxed way ... take your time, be 'right there' and all will be well!

Buen Camino.
 
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I left from StJPP on 13th September this year with a lot of good advice and a fair degree of preparation. The most important advice being look after your feet, and start slowly. The first day was glorious weather and the climb steeper than I had imagined but I have walked a lot in Scotland and learnt to slow down and manage my breathing, so though tiring it was not as difficult as I could see others were finding it.

I found myself from the second day onwards going a little further than planned as I felt good and was sustaining a good pace. I arrived in Burgos after 11 days instead of 13 days as scheduled. I rested a day then set off again into the Meseta. After Castrojeriz there is in the middle of the flat area a sudden steep climb (14%) and descent (18%) which I remember going up slowly and as I came down thinking this is very steep and putting a lot of strain on my shins. About three hours later I got a pain on the front of my right shin. I guessed it was a strain and would recover after a good nights sleep. The next day it was still sore and getting worse by the end of the next day it was very sore, and I was using Volterin gel plus strapping to no effect the shin was now red and inflammed. I sent a photo to my brother in law who is a doctor, the next day I walked again and though painful I could manage to hike but was slowing down!

The next morning I got a message, telling me to go straight to hospital as it look like a possible infection (cellulitis), so I got a taxi to Leon (77 km away) and was well looked after by the emergency staff, the doctor told me it was a bad tendonitis, gave me anti-inflammatory meds and told me to rest for a week with my leg elevated. I said I could only manage three days, and she smiled rolled her eyes a little and said 'good luck'.

So three days in a hotel leg packed with ice (ten minutes every hour) gels, meds, beers and prayers appeared to make no difference. on Oct 2nd I set off again and started to walk by the time I got to Astorga the leg was swollen and sore. I knew it wasn't infected, but I also knew others with shin splints and tendonitis had made good recoveries after a few days rest. I hiked up to Cruz De Ferro and the descent into Molinaseca was very painful on the leg.

Other pilgrims who looked at it all said "looks bad you should see a doctor", so I called home and with a very very heavy heart decided my Camino was now over. I made arrangements to go to Madrid and fly back to London the next day.

After arriving in London it was arranged for me to get blood tests and an X-Ray. The bloods were fine and I got a call from the doctor telling me that I had clear evidence of stress fractures on my right tibia. And that i did the right thing to come off the walk, had I continued it would only have gotten worse with the possible outcome of permanent damage. It also explained why the meds, gels strapping etc did nothing to alleviate the condition, and why the swelling just got worse.

My brother in law is an orthopedic surgeon and said shin splints/stress fractures are very hard to diagnose accurately without MRI or x-ray. He added had they x-rayed in Leon nothing would have shown up as stress fractures are so small (but painful).

I think having a 21 year old brain in my 61 year old body would have been the cause of my going too fast at the start, plus maybe I did not prepare myself sufficiently though I did train for a month or so before, and never more then 11km (Mmm there is a clue perhaps). It is possible the orthotic insteps I had put in put too much weight onto the front of my foot, then the steep descent after Castrojeriz was the straw that broke the camels back in my case.

I have 4 weeks leg rest then will return next year march to finish off, (it's not going anywhere) I was very sorry not to finish with the many friends I made along the way, but know beyond any doubt I could not have finished.

Stress fractures I think are a lot more common on the Camino than others imagine so if your pain is not helped by regular painkillers or anti inflammatories, consider stress fracture. It requires you to stop, as it is not only very painful but can cause problems later.

Curiously the weather for me had been amazing three hours of light gentle rain during my camino but that was it, my friends who are almost finished tell me the weather has been great. In fact whilst walking in the MEseta it was regularly 34/35C too hot if anything.

The other memory I have of this trip is how busy the Camino was, so many pilgrims and I was told it was the busiest September on record I think everyone had the same logic.
1. Schools are back, it'll be quieter
2. Colleges are back it'll be quieter
3 Folks are back at work. it'll be quieter
4. It's not too hot in mid Sept,
5. Well I guess all things considered It'll be quieter

Not so, I usually left around 06.30 and there were always people out on the path at that time. If I left at 8AM it was at times like a sponsored walk so many folk. The early folk were in a race for a bed, the later folks tended to have reservations, most people had one story of their albergue being full and having to walk to the next one. Next time I would go a little earlier (March) or later (October), that said it is wonderful to meet so many fantastic folk. And if you have to walk a little further, it'll be quieter. :)

Thanks, BiggBlue for sharing your experience. I think it should be read as a cautionary tale. IMO, and this is based only on my experience and totally non-medical training, as the camino gets more and more paved over, and as more and more of the caminos in Galicia are "improved" and turned into level crushed rock paths, there will be more and more of these repetitive stress injuries, namely stress fractures and tendonitis.

In some counter-intuitive way, it seems to me that those who are the most likely to get these injuries are those who are in really good shape, because they can easily handle the longer distances in terms of muscular and cardio-vascular condition.

I had a heel problem, tarsal tunnel, that developed while walking long distances on lots of camino pavement. It was exacerbated by the hard plastic orthotic I had (which has now been changed to silicone and I have been problem-free to ten years).

So, one thing I would highly recommend to pilgrims (and this is not the first time I have recommended this, so pardon the repetition) is that whenever you are on pavement, do what you can to get over onto dirt. In some cases that will make it harder to walk because you are walking in weeds and you have to pay more attention to terrain level, but it will reduce the likelihood of this type of injury. And the other is preventitive icing, on the shins, whether you feel pain or not after walking.

So glad you will be back on the camino next year, here's too a stress-free walk in more ways than one!
 
Glad you have got this diagnosed, and are thinking of going back after it heals.

I had a metatarsal (foot) stress fracture at home from wearing stiff hiking boots on several very brisk long walks on concrete. I tried a couple of weeks rest several times, which helped a bit but only temporarily. When I finally went to a podiatrist and was properly diagnosed, he told me I had to seriously stay off it for 6 weeks. That was just 9 weeks before my Camino.

So I followed instructions, wondering if the Camino would be possible. The weeks went by. At 4 weeks, still not healed. At 5 weeks, close but not there. At 6 weeks - Yes, I started some walking. At 7 weeks, back to proper training with no discomfort ever again. I have walked 3 caminos since.

My message is that stress fractures do heal but they need to be rested long enough. Don't compromise on that time, or you may need to go back to square one.

Good luck!
I had the same experience (on both foot) and I remember it was hard to diagnose. So the doctor told me either I rested or if I continued I would destroy my foot. He told me that 6 weeks rest would be enough. In reality it took more than 6 months to heal maybe due that I am older...?
The good news is that I can walk again but sometimes I can feel the weak spots again.
 
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I left from StJPP on 13th September this year with a lot of good advice and a fair degree of preparation. The most important advice being look after your feet, and start slowly. The first day was glorious weather and the climb steeper than I had imagined but I have walked a lot in Scotland and learnt to slow down and manage my breathing, so though tiring it was not as difficult as I could see others were finding it.

I found myself from the second day onwards going a little further than planned as I felt good and was sustaining a good pace. I arrived in Burgos after 11 days instead of 13 days as scheduled. I rested a day then set off again into the Meseta. After Castrojeriz there is in the middle of the flat area a sudden steep climb (14%) and descent (18%) which I remember going up slowly and as I came down thinking this is very steep and putting a lot of strain on my shins. About three hours later I got a pain on the front of my right shin. I guessed it was a strain and would recover after a good nights sleep. The next day it was still sore and getting worse by the end of the next day it was very sore, and I was using Volterin gel plus strapping to no effect the shin was now red and inflammed. I sent a photo to my brother in law who is a doctor, the next day I walked again and though painful I could manage to hike but was slowing down!

The next morning I got a message, telling me to go straight to hospital as it look like a possible infection (cellulitis), so I got a taxi to Leon (77 km away) and was well looked after by the emergency staff, the doctor told me it was a bad tendonitis, gave me anti-inflammatory meds and told me to rest for a week with my leg elevated. I said I could only manage three days, and she smiled rolled her eyes a little and said 'good luck'.

So three days in a hotel leg packed with ice (ten minutes every hour) gels, meds, beers and prayers appeared to make no difference. on Oct 2nd I set off again and started to walk by the time I got to Astorga the leg was swollen and sore. I knew it wasn't infected, but I also knew others with shin splints and tendonitis had made good recoveries after a few days rest. I hiked up to Cruz De Ferro and the descent into Molinaseca was very painful on the leg.

Other pilgrims who looked at it all said "looks bad you should see a doctor", so I called home and with a very very heavy heart decided my Camino was now over. I made arrangements to go to Madrid and fly back to London the next day.

After arriving in London it was arranged for me to get blood tests and an X-Ray. The bloods were fine and I got a call from the doctor telling me that I had clear evidence of stress fractures on my right tibia. And that i did the right thing to come off the walk, had I continued it would only have gotten worse with the possible outcome of permanent damage. It also explained why the meds, gels strapping etc did nothing to alleviate the condition, and why the swelling just got worse.

My brother in law is an orthopedic surgeon and said shin splints/stress fractures are very hard to diagnose accurately without MRI or x-ray. He added had they x-rayed in Leon nothing would have shown up as stress fractures are so small (but painful).

I think having a 21 year old brain in my 61 year old body would have been the cause of my going too fast at the start, plus maybe I did not prepare myself sufficiently though I did train for a month or so before, and never more then 11km (Mmm there is a clue perhaps). It is possible the orthotic insteps I had put in put too much weight onto the front of my foot, then the steep descent after Castrojeriz was the straw that broke the camels back in my case.

I have 4 weeks leg rest then will return next year march to finish off, (it's not going anywhere) I was very sorry not to finish with the many friends I made along the way, but know beyond any doubt I could not have finished.

Stress fractures I think are a lot more common on the Camino than others imagine so if your pain is not helped by regular painkillers or anti inflammatories, consider stress fracture. It requires you to stop, as it is not only very painful but can cause problems later.

Curiously the weather for me had been amazing three hours of light gentle rain during my camino but that was it, my friends who are almost finished tell me the weather has been great. In fact whilst walking in the MEseta it was regularly 34/35C too hot if anything.

The other memory I have of this trip is how busy the Camino was, so many pilgrims and I was told it was the busiest September on record I think everyone had the same logic.
1. Schools are back, it'll be quieter
2. Colleges are back it'll be quieter
3 Folks are back at work. it'll be quieter
4. It's not too hot in mid Sept,
5. Well I guess all things considered It'll be quieter

Not so, I usually left around 06.30 and there were always people out on the path at that time. If I left at 8AM it was at times like a sponsored walk so many folk. The early folk were in a race for a bed, the later folks tended to have reservations, most people had one story of their albergue being full and having to walk to the next one. Next time I would go a little earlier (March) or later (October), that said it is wonderful to meet so many fantastic folk. And if you have to walk a little further, it'll be quieter. :)

Hello BigBlue223
I have experienced similar things with both shin splints and tendonitis and recently came across an often overlooked cause namely the lack of water. I have since done some research and from what I can read when the body is short of water it looks for easy places to find it from places where it is not essential for survival for example the fluid that surrounds the the joints and certain parts of the muscles. This is explained in some detail in a book by Yates and Hnatiuk on "Pilgrim Tips and Packing Lists" pages 42-43. Another reference is from Alyson Sunderman who explains when you are dehydrated the areas of your body not important for survival are deprived of water in order to supply the brain and other vital organs. As cartilage is not not a vital organ the body begins to pull water out of it, dehydrating it. The cartilage loses its nice smooth, low friction and wear resistant qualities allowing it to be damaged, and once damaged will not repair itself. In "Backpacks, Boots & Blisters" there is a whole chapter "Water: Why, Where and When" that goes into more detail including the importance of fascia, a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen that attaches, stabilizes, encloses and separates muscles and other vital organs. If it dries out it becomes hard and brittle and shins splints and tendonitis follow. Hope this helps
Happymarkos
 
I have experienced similar things with both shin splints and tendonitis and recently came across an often overlooked cause namely the lack of water. I have since done some research and from what I can read when the body is short of water it looks for easy places to find it from places where it is not essential for survival for example the fluid that surrounds the the joints and certain parts of the muscles. This is explained in some detail in a book by Yates and Hnatiuk on "Pilgrim Tips and Packing Lists" pages 42-43. Another reference is from Alyson Sunderman who explains when you are dehydrated the areas of your body not important for survival are deprived of............"Water: Why, Where and When" that goes into more detail including the importance of fascia, a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen that attaches, stabilizes, encloses and separates muscles and other vital organs. If it dries out it becomes hard and brittle and shins splints and tendonitis follow.
This makes so much sense to me.....now I can understand why three weeks into my Camino and second day on the meseta, I developed tendinitis. Thank you!:)
 
Thanks for sharing your story, BiggBlue223.

Mine was quite similar, also with a tibia stress fracture. Appeared quite suddenly, a tiny signal in the morning, growing up during the day, and a final stop in the evening (defeats the "listen to your body" scheme). Diagnosed only by MRI, as the damage could not be seen with regular X-rays.

The root causes were to be found among overuse of my body, overconfidence and optimism, maybe also cushioned insteps (could have modified my stride and overall balance).

The good news : after half a year of consolidation (rest, then progressive walks), I was able to resume my Camino without further problems.
 
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My brother in law is an orthopedic surgeon and said shin splints/stress fractures are very hard to diagnose accurately without MRI or x-ray.

He must be wrong because the amateur doctors on this forum routinely diagnose the difference between shin splints, stress fractures, and deep vein thrombosis from the comfort of their homes without conducting a single test on you.

I naively believe we shouldn't give medical advice here because I'm worried that a pain in your lower legs could be life threatening deep vein thrombosis (from a 12 hour flight) instead of simple shin splints. Therefore, advice like "here are some stretches I do for shin splints" could be a death sentence.
 
He must be wrong because the amateur doctors on this forum routinely diagnose the difference between shin splints, stress fractures, and deep vein thrombosis from the comfort of their homes without conducting a single test on you.
Who routinely diagnoses the difference between shin splints, stress fractures, and deep vein thrombosis?
I have never noticed anyone doing that on here.
:):):)
 
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So a stress fracture of the tibia or fibula can happen from overuse? It's not just from a jump or fall or rock hopping?

I Thought it was possible to get stress fracture of lower leg bones from overuse. Many years ago, a doctor told me overuse does not cause stress fractures of tibia or fibula. I thought for sure he was wrong when he said that.
 
Sure, CaminoJoy123.

Stress fractures (or "fatigue fractures") come from limited, but repeated, stress of the bone. Comparable to a paper clip, bent again and again, which breaks eventually. Different from a fracture resulting of a sudden shock.

Typically observed with recruits at boot camps. The poor guys got fractures from long unusual marches, were x-rayed, with no visible damage, then punished for simulation. :(

In non-doctor terms, let's say that the bone is somewhat "mashed", with micro-fractures.
 
I decided a while ago that there's some things that are just uncomfortable and can be endured (ie. blisters); then there are other, more structural issues (ie. shin splints, tendonitis) that can't be ignored as further use just causes more damage. It's important to listen to your body.... pain is a good indicator that something's wrong!
 
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Hello BigBlue223
I have experienced similar things with both shin splints and tendonitis and recently came across an often overlooked cause namely the lack of water. I have since done some research and from what I can read when the body is short of water it looks for easy places to find it from places where it is not essential for survival for example the fluid that surrounds the the joints and certain parts of the muscles. This is explained in some detail in a book by Yates and Hnatiuk on "Pilgrim Tips and Packing Lists" pages 42-43. Another reference is from Alyson Sunderman who explains when you are dehydrated the areas of your body not important for survival are deprived of water in order to supply the brain and other vital organs. As cartilage is not not a vital organ the body begins to pull water out of it, dehydrating it. The cartilage loses its nice smooth, low friction and wear resistant qualities allowing it to be damaged, and once damaged will not repair itself. In "Backpacks, Boots & Blisters" there is a whole chapter "Water: Why, Where and When" that goes into more detail including the importance of fascia, a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen that attaches, stabilizes, encloses and separates muscles and other vital organs. If it dries out it becomes hard and brittle and shins splints and tendonitis follow. Hope this helps
Happymarkos


I am not a good drinker of water when I am walking and regularly go for hours without hydrating. So what you say makes perfect sense, I studied physiology at university and keeping fluid level topped up is very important for many non-obvious reasons.

I also think there are many factors which can contribute, but my logic is there are major and minor factors. Too much too soon a major factor. Next time I will go slower and drink more. :)
 
So a stress fracture of the tibia or fibula can happen from overuse? It's not just from a jump or fall or rock hopping?

I Thought it was possible to get stress fracture of lower leg bones from overuse. Many years ago, a doctor told me overuse does not cause stress fractures of tibia or fibula. I thought for sure he was wrong when he said that.


Ive done a lot of research on stress fracture on the tibia and the major cause is overuse, mainly runners and hard surfaces. I was unlucky and was probably less prepared (physically as I should have been) enthusiasm is no substitute for prep!!
 
I've had experience with stress fractures and can sympathize.......it's so, so painful. I've done a fair bit lot of long distance walking away from home (the Camino Frances, Camino Norte, Portugese, the Via Francigena, the Via Egnatia) and after my 1st experience with stress fractures I made some changes. No heavy pack.....10% of body weight on long treks is a strict rule for me. Training, training, training. And flexible boots, not backpacking boots. This is a walking trip, not a backpacking trip. You will have to figure out for yourself what boot suits you for this......most boot sellers will not know. But note, I am old, 65, when I was young nothing hurt & I carried heavy packs and boots hardly mattered.
Bon camino!
 
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I've had experience with stress fractures and can sympathize.......it's so, so painful. I've done a fair bit lot of long distance walking away from home (the Camino Frances, Camino Norte, Portugese, the Via Francigena, the Via Egnatia) and after my 1st experience with stress fractures I made some changes. No heavy pack.....10% of body weight on long treks is a strict rule for me. Training, training, training. And flexible boots, not backpacking boots. This is a walking trip, not a backpacking trip. You will have to figure out for yourself what boot suits you for this......most boot sellers will not know. But note, I am old, 65, when I was young nothing hurt & I carried heavy packs and boots hardly mattered.
Bon camino!

Thanks for the good advice, I am trying to figure out how long before I can start training again, but have been told 12 weeks to m ake sure everything heals. Plus I have had customised orthotics made to counteract m y pronation (flat feet) which I am sure contributed.
 

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