I am beginning to accept the fact that I seem to be prone to "shin splints" or "stress fractures", judging only on what I have come to understand their symptoms are, and their relation to what I am currently experiencing. As far as I know (and I very well could be misinformed, so please correct me if that is the case), these conditions are made to feel like your shin bone is pulling outwards, for lack of a better description. My questions are as follows:
1. What are shin splints and/or stress fractures?
2. How are they caused?
3. What can be done to prevent them?
4. If already afflicted, how can one cure them?
5. Are there any dietary do's and don'ts that could help?
6. Would you reccomend a certain running regime?
Thank you very much for your help with this matter. It is very frustrating to be stopped by fear of injury in trainning when you know you have the ability to drive on in all areas except bone mumbo jumbo, as you can imagine. I can be contacted at []tmfair@zoominternet.net[/] Thanks again. -Fair <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

The is a wealth of information on this topic on the web if you do a simple search. One stretch that I have found that helps is to sit with your legs straight out in front of you and with a towel placed over your toes pull your feet towards you and hold. Also, if you have a buddy sit the same way and have them pull the towel towards them so that you stretch that portion of the leg both ways. The best way to avoid shin splints all together is proper stretching and pacing yourself.

Do a search here at the site. Heck, just open all the running posts and you will see about 50 posts on this subject.

Get good shoes and try accupuncture. It worked for me.

Do a search like Guard MC said. In addition, I have not searched this website for this topic but the only thing that I would add are doing heal taps or alternatively sitting on a bench and holding and 10-20 lbs weight depending on your ability and doing repeats to failure where you plantarflex and dorsiflex your feet.

If you take care fo them you can get over them no problem.

thanks for the comments so far guys... Does anyone know if any kind of medical taping would work for support... not that I particularly want to shave my legs in order to prevent the hair from being yanked out like some saadistic form of female leg waxing every time I take the tape off, but I guess if it works... what the heck eh?