Stuck in Hornillos with suspected shin splints

[Seamus Collins]

Hi, I'm on my first experience of the Camino. Everything was going fine until the stage from Burgos to Hornillos. About 3km from Hornillos, my left shin started heating up. I'm now resting in the lovely Albergue de Sol a Sol at the entrance to the town, but don't know what to do next. Back to Burgos to a Centro de Salud on Monday? Or wait another few days and see what happens?

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Sorry to hear your trouble. Taxi ahead one or two stages, rest for the days you've gained and shuttle your bags ahead for a day or two. You will be fine. Buen Camino and walk on!

 

[Seamus Collins]

Sorry to hear your trouble. Taxi ahead one or two stages, rest for the days you've gained and shuttle your bags ahead for a day or two. You will be fine. Buen Camino and walk on!

Thanks, Scott. For a while there, my plans were evaporating before my downcast eyes! Thanks for the advice to go forward rather than back. Seamus

 

[Scott Sweeney]

We Irish are a strong bunch.

 

[ScooterB]

Rest, ice, compression, elevation and Ibuprofen. Can't recommend these enough. Results will amaze you.

Also, send pack ahead and plan on shorter distances. You will be fine, I just know it!

 

[SYates]

Hi, I'm on my first experience of the Camino. Everything was going fine until the stage from Burgos to Hornillos. About 3km from Hornillos, my left shin started heating up. I'm now resting in the lovely Albergue de Sol a Sol at the entrance to the town, but don't know what to do next. Back to Burgos to a Centro de Salud on Monday? Or wait another few days and see what happens?

I simply would take an absolute rest day (no unnecessary walking around in the village), drink a lot of non-alcoholic liquids and keep your feet up. Be careful with ice, don't keep it on the whole time, alternate it. See how it goes the day after tomorrow and then make a decision. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Seamus Collins]

Rest, ice, compression, elevation and Ibuprofen. Can't recommend these enough. Results will amaze you.

Also, send pack ahead and plan on shorter distances. You will be fine, I just know it!

Thanks, Scooter!

 

[Seamus Collins]

I simply would take an absolute rest day (no unnecessary walking around in the village), drink a lot of non-alcoholic liquids and keep your feet up. Be careful with ice, don't keep it on the whole time, alternate it. See how it goes the day after tomorrow and then make a decision. Buen Camino, SY

Thanks, SY! There's a small pool in the garden here, and it's really cold in Hornillos today, so that's the cold therapy for me!

 

[SYates]

Sounds even better than ice! Just make sure that your leg(s) warm up again from time to time ;-) Speedy recovery and Buen Camino, SY

 

[BShea]

I was diagnosed with a stress fracture during my most recent camino. Because after 3 rest days I was able to walk, I believe it was actually just really bad shin splints. I was able to continue walking an additional 600+ kms by doing the following: rest, ice, elevation, compression, Ibuprofen and sending my pack with a transport service.

I highly recommend using CEP compression socks (if you can find them) as your source of compression. After over two weeks of wearing them daily, I thought I would see what happened if I removed them. I walked a flat 18 kms with a steep 1 km climb at the end and when I checked my leg at the end of the day, the bump on my shin had returned along with leg, ankle and foot swelling. Taught me a lesson.

Edit: I only iced, elevated and ibuprofened for a week or so. The compression socks and pack sending continued till the end.

 

[Nanc]

Shorter strides suggested when you come back on
Good luck
Nanc

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

As you will be resting for a day or so... here are a couple of previous threads on shin splints:
A Physiotherapist's guide to injury prevention and management on the Camino
Shin splints at the start of my camino
Bunk Bed Yoga
shin splints how to treat?

Hopefully, there will be some information that might help.

At least you will learn how others have fared.

I wish you a good recovery and a Buen Camino

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I hope you are feeling better soon!

While you are resting, elevating, icing, etc. you may want to consider possible causes for your shin splints (this is not something everyone gets) and make some plans to avoid once you're back on the road. I will assume you had trained adequately...shin splints means more strain was put on the muscle attachment to bone than it could take. Is your pack too heavy? (lighten load or use a pack service) Did you push yourself when you were already hurting? (Pain is not fear leaving the body, it's a warning signal, listen to it and take a break) Did you walk at a pace too fast for you, trying to keep up with others?(tell them you will see them at the next town). Did you walk in footwear without adequate arch support? (don't). Did you do a lot of start and stop running, especially downhill (can't imagine, but if so, don't). Have you been lax about core strength (toss in a few exercises in the evening) Maybe it's none of these things, but do look at what you were doing before you developed shin splints...there is going to be something. It's important to try to figure out why your were injured, so once you are better you don't find yourself re-injured (you will be more prone now that there has already been some damage).

 

[gracethepilgrim]

And another good idea is to carry a couple of spare plastic bags. When you stop for refreshment at bars, ask them to pop in a few blocks of ice. Sit. relax, elevate and ice for 10 minutes.
At the end of the walking day, rest on the bed with your leg elevated a little -you can use your bag of clothes (remember - no packs on beds )

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Why taxi ahead? If the albergue is lovely stay there and ice, ice, and ice some more, 10 or 15 minutes at a time. When you start walking ina couple of days make it short days and keep icing.

If pain persists you may be suffering from a stress fracture. But start a
By assuming it's shin splints, rest and ice.

 

[Markitect]

I experienced the same problem last year. I walked onto Castrojeriz and was in agony with my left leg. I camped in the town medical centre waiting room until the last patient was seen and walked ito the surgery and sat on the bed. A nice doctor diagnosed Tendonitis by asking me to stand on my tiptoes (No problem) then to stand on my heels ( could not do this). Dr told me that if I didn't rest for three days I would definitely not make it to Santiago. I took a bus that same day ahead to Fromista then a train to Palencia then a train to Sahagun. I did what the Dr told me and rested for 3 days mainly at cafes in Plaza Major. The resting with elevation and Ibuprofen did the trick. Eventually I walked on to Finisterre with no distress. Getting back to Australia and stopping the Ibuprofen made me realise that I likely had a stress fracture from the Tendonitis. So I agree, rest, rest, rest and allow your body to recover is the best way to deal with this painful problem. Buen Camino Seamus. I hope it heals for you.

 

[jennie]

Shorter strides suggested when you come back on
Good luck
Nanc

thats smart advice Nanc, that and the repeated use of an ice pack got me through .

 

[jennie]

Hi, I'm on my first experience of the Camino. Everything was going fine until the stage from Burgos to Hornillos. About 3km from Hornillos, my left shin started heating up. I'm now resting in the lovely Albergue de Sol a Sol at the entrance to the town, but don't know what to do next. Back to Burgos to a Centro de Salud on Monday? Or wait another few days and see what happens?

dont panic,i had the dreaded shin splits and i am allergic to most of the recommended pain killers,very annoying !i used an ice bag when ever we stopped for a break,and just walked real slow,Nanc had a smart piece of advice in saying shorter and softer strides, best of luck,you can do it now two years later i have forgotten (mostly)the pain and only have the best memorys.

 

[David]

Terrible pain with shin splints - but you know that now

all the above advice is excellent .. but whilst you are waiting and healing do analyze how you walk or you may get them again.

Try this - stand relaxed and straight with your arms down by your sides and focus your mind on the front of your legs from the waist to the toes .. now .. turn your elbows out a little and lean forward slightly from the waist, only the waist - you will feel all the tendons and muscles and ligaments at the front, all the way down, go into tension .. and this will lead to problems when walking - so, you have to walk upright and relaxed, as if your backpack weighs nothing, don't lean forward when wearing it, stand straight and sort of lead with your hips - and if you cannot do that then your pack is either not giving the main weight to your hips (put on wrongly) or it is too heavy .. so go through your stuff and be brutal - get rid of all you "may" need and keep only what you "do" need.

Roman legions marched long distances day after day carrying heavy loads - but their steps were really short, about half the length that we tend to walk, and with higher raised knees too, perfect for rough terrain - so (as mentioned above) shorten your stride - but drastically. At first it will feel quite weird but after a while will seem normal and will eat up the miles with less fatigue.

Same on ascents and descents .. take it easy, take it easy, keep the step length short ....

So, you have the time over the next couple of days to look at all of this, practise it ... and when you are healed, well, Buen Camino!!!!

 

[camino07]

I now wear shin compression sleeves and no longer get shin splints. I tried a day without them to test and went straight back to wearing them ..

 

[englishstu]

Good advice given. Shin splints is a vague term for pain in the shin. Once I did have issue there and learnt to massage the affected area with the heel of the other foot (the affected area is usually a small knotted area of muscle which shortens the muscle restricting its movement- hence the pain). There is good treatment advice on YouTube re support sleeves or Kinesio taping.

 

[Seamus Collins]

To everyone who took the trouble to reply to my cry for help from Hornillos, a sincere and heartfelt thanks.

The physical advice worked (rest, ice, compression, elevation and ibuprofen), but of equal effect was the spontaneous and generous flood of support, which helped to raise my flagging spirits and got me out of a place of despondency.

I am now in Villafranca del Bierzo, and am feeling a wonderful sense of achievement with each step, as the momentum builds towards my arrival in Santiago. I'm taking each day as it comes and am not making any assumptions ( in contrast to the first couple of weeks), and am grateful at the end of each day.

Thanks again to each one of you.

 

[andy.d]

Buen Camino!

 

[Montana Jayne]

So very happy for you! Pressing on after rest was the right choice. Last year we were just 3 days from Santiago on 9/30. Wonderful memories and so grateful that we had the opportunity. Buen camino!

 

[SYates]

Buen Camino! SY

 

[ShellsG]

I thought my Camino was over last year after coming down from O Cebriero. Walking up hill did not seem to bother it but coming down .... oh my goodness. My right shin had been on fire for over 2 days while walking and I limped into Hospital by taking 3 - 4 steps at a time and stopping. As I was resting and elevating my right leg and my shin was on fire I contemplated my options. I limped to the bar and had a beer (always option one) and met a lovely friend who I told my tale of woe to (and I am still in contact with her and we have met up for lunch since). I finally decided I need to increase my hydration and plopped an electrolyte replacement tablet. The next day I had absolutely no pain at all. None, never returned. All I can conclude is that the cause of the muscular pain was related to a defiency in one of my electrolytes ... magnesium perhaps, K+ perhaps ... either way, on my next camino I will have them with me again.