Tips for preventing tendinitis

[Chizuru]

I have walked two Caminos now and about 7 days in on both occasions I came down with severe tendinitis on my lower shins. On the Frances, I got it on my right leg, on Podiensis on my left leg. Each time, I strapped it, rubbed in Voltaren gel, ice and elevated them, and even took a rest day before I persevered with my walking. After around 10 days of excruciating walking, they finally recovered enabling me to finish my Caminos in comfort.
I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.
Thanks.

 

[dick bird]

I recently went to a physiotherapist because I was starting to get pains in one knee, probably tendonitis. They showed me a series of exercises to strengthen the leg muscles, They also explained that with age, tendons wear out whereas you can maintain strength in your muscles with exercise. Anyway, ´seek the advice of a qualified professional´ is our mantra. They will give you sound advice on how to minimise the risk and how to alleviate the effects when they occur.

 

[ReggieLouise]

I have walked two Caminos now and about 7 days in on both occasions I came down with severe tendinitis on my lower shins. On the Frances, I got it on my right leg, on Podiensis on my left leg. Each time, I strapped it, rubbed in Voltaren gel, ice and elevated them, and even took a rest day before I persevered with my walking. After around 10 days of excruciating walking, they finally recovered enabling me to finish my Caminos in comfort.
I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.
Thanks.

Some exercises you can do for your shins:
- walk on your heels, just a little bit at home, not on the trail!
- while sitting, trace the alphabet on the floor with your toes.

 

[Pafayac]

White walking:
- drink water
- drink water
- drink water

 

[Former member 104756]

I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.

Hi @Chizuru I feel your pain. I've been lucky to have been relatively injury free on my caminos - except for shin splints, which seems to be what you are describing. This was a recurring problem for me for the first few years - and no amount of pills or gels made the slightest difference. Only rest and icing helped.

Disclamer: No medical training - can only tell you of my experience and what my doctor advised - and physio and podiatrist said the same thing.

My doctor told me that shin splints are largely caused by tight muscles, particularly calves. Walking long distances day after day your calf, hamstring and other muscles are bound to tighten over time, unless you do something to counteract that. He gave me a series of simple stretches to help alleviate the tightness - you can find lots of these on the internet, often from physios-- eg. calf and hamstring stretches, calf raises, heel drops ...

This was a few years ago. I now use these and other stretches regularly in daily life - but before and on the Camino, I stretch all the time. In the morning, in the afternoon, before bed - and multiple times during the day. It's easy to do on the trail, e.g. pushing against a wall, a heel drop on a set of stairs or sidewalk. Ever since I've been doing this I haven't had a problem with shin splints. Occasionally, I've felt a small niggle - and it's always after I've been a bit slack in my stretching. I stop immediately and stretch for 5-10 minutes.

Stretching, stretching, stretching - you may get some odd looks but that's a small price to pay.

Hope that's useful - but of course it's a good idea to see your own doctor in any case, in particular in case there is something else at play. All the best.

 

[Chizuru]

Hi @Chizuru I feel your pain. I've been lucky to have been relatively injury free on my caminos - except for shin splints, which seems to be what you are describing. This was a recurring problem for me for the first few years - and no amount of pills or gels made the slightest difference. Only rest and icing helped.

Disclamer: No medical training - can only tell you of my experience and what my doctor advised - and physio and podiatrist said the same thing.

My doctor told me that shin splints are largely caused by tight muscles, particularly calves. Walking long distances day after day your calf, hamstring and other muscles are bound to tighten over time, unless you do something to counteract that. He gave me a series of simple stretches to help alleviate the tightness - you can find lots of these on the internet, often from physios-- eg. calf and hamstring stretches, calf raises, heel drops ...

This was a few years ago. I now use these and other stretches regularly in daily life - but before and on the Camino, I stretch all the time. In the morning, in the afternoon, before bed - and multiple times during the day. It's easy to do on the trail, e.g. pushing against a wall, a heel drop on a set of stairs or sidewalk. Ever since I've been doing this I haven't had a problem with shin splints. Occasionally, I've felt a small niggle - and it's always after I've been a bit slack in my stretching. I stop immediately and stretch for 5-10 minutes.

Stretching, stretching, stretching - you may get some odd looks but that's a small price to pay.

Hope that's useful - but of course it's a good idea to see your own doctor in any case, in particular in case there is something else at play. All the best.

Thanks, Pelerina, That could be the key. I know that I don't do enough stretches. Once the tendinitis/shin splints set in then stretching is excruciating so I best start before I leave and keep doing them religiously!

 

[Former member 104756]

Thanks, Pelerina, That could be the key. I know that I don't do enough stretches. Once the tendinitis/shin splints set in then stretching is excruciating so I best start before I leave and keep doing them religiously!

Hope that does the trick, but still a good idea to check to rule out anything else going on!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I have walked two Caminos now and about 7 days in on both occasions I came down with severe tendinitis on my lower shins. On the Frances, I got it on my right leg, on Podiensis on my left leg. Each time, I strapped it, rubbed in Voltaren gel, ice and elevated them, and even took a rest day before I persevered with my walking. After around 10 days of excruciating walking, they finally recovered enabling me to finish my Caminos in comfort.
I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.
Thanks.

I mentioned on a similar thread that your posture can cause shin pains. If you have a tendency to lean forward when you walk then this puts a lot of strain on your shins and can lead to pain.

When we only walk small distances during ordinary life then leaning forward on its own isn't often enough to trigger the pain but the longer walking on a Camino can trigger it.

You can ask a friend to observe you walking to see if you lean forward or constantly have your head down.

Wearing an ill fitting backpack can tend to cause you to lean forward if most of the backpack weight is on your shoulders rather than your waist and hips.

 

[Chizuru]

I mentioned on a similar thread that your posture can cause shin pains. If you have a tendency to lean forward when you walk then this puts a lot of strain on your shins and can lead to pain.

When we only walk small distances during ordinary life then leaning forward on its own isn't often enough to trigger the pain but the longer walking on a Camino can trigger it.

You can ask a friend to observe you walking to see if you lean forward or constantly have your head down.

Wearing an ill fitting backpack can tend to cause you to lean forward if most of the backpack weight is on your shoulders rather than your waist and hips.

I didn't know that about leaning forward. I will look into it. Certainly, the day I first started getting sore was a day of very rough tracks and abraided, muddy trails which had me constantly watching my footing! The pack was fitting fine with the weight on my waist. The first Gite that I stayed at in Montbonnet has a Gite owner who checks and adjusts all of her pilgrims' packs before she lets them head off. She adjusted mine to be more on my hips and waist.

 

[Nelle]

Hi @Chizuru -- I'm currently working with a PT for ankle tendinitis and in addition to the stretches described by other posters, I've been encouraged to use foam roller (or a hard tennis ball) on my calves, which is helping loosen some knots that I didn't even know I had, which in turn is helping with the ankle. But do check with your doctor or physical therapist. Buen Camino and good luck.

 

[pjacobi]

Training at home before your Camino allows you to slowly stretch your tendons and will prevent severe injury on the Camino.


-Paul

 

[larry1948]

Hi @Chizuru I feel your pain. I've been lucky to have been relatively injury free on my caminos - except for shin splints, which seems to be what you are describing. This was a recurring problem for me for the first few years - and no amount of pills or gels made the slightest difference. Only rest and icing helped.

Disclamer: No medical training - can only tell you of my experience and what my doctor advised - and physio and podiatrist said the same thing.

My doctor told me that shin splints are largely caused by tight muscles, particularly calves. Walking long distances day after day your calf, hamstring and other muscles are bound to tighten over time, unless you do something to counteract that. He gave me a series of simple stretches to help alleviate the tightness - you can find lots of these on the internet, often from physios-- eg. calf and hamstring stretches, calf raises, heel drops ...

This was a few years ago. I now use these and other stretches regularly in daily life - but before and on the Camino, I stretch all the time. In the morning, in the afternoon, before bed - and multiple times during the day. It's easy to do on the trail, e.g. pushing against a wall, a heel drop on a set of stairs or sidewalk. Ever since I've been doing this I haven't had a problem with shin splints. Occasionally, I've felt a small niggle - and it's always after I've been a bit slack in my stretching. I stop immediately and stretch for 5-10 minutes.

Stretching, stretching, stretching - you may get some odd looks but that's a small price to pay.

Hope that's useful - but of course it's a good idea to see your own doctor in any case, in particular in case there is something else at play. All the best.

I believe this advice to be spot on. In my experience, stretching helped to hasten the recovery as well.

 

[Charte57]

So sorry, I’ve been in your shoes. I had to leave my first camino due to shin splints and tendinitis , I went back to finish a year later and it almost happened again. My whole world changed when I picked up a pair of compression socks in Leon, after that I was walking 30+ km a day with no pain at all. Seriously, they’re that good!

 

[Chizuru]

So sorry, I’ve been in your shoes. I had to leave my first camino due to shin splints and tendinitis , I went back to finish a year later and it almost happened again. My whole world changed when I picked up a pair of compression socks in Leon, after that I was walking 30+ km a day with no pain at all. Seriously, they’re that good!

Compression socks sound promising. I will get a pair straight away. I must say that I was tempted to pull out of my two Caminos but I kept going in great pain and it did get better over several days letting me finish in comfort but it isn't an ideal way to be and I really don't want to repeat the ordeal!!

 

[Charte57]

Compression socks sound promising. I will get a pair straight away. I must say that I was tempted to pull out of my two Caminos but I kept going in great pain and it did get better over several days letting me finish in comfort but it isn't an ideal way to be and I really don't want to repeat the ordeal!!

I hope they help you as much as they did me. I’m a big fan of merino Sockwells, they have a nice cushy sole. Buen Camino!!

 

[ratherbefollowingflechas]

My husband and I have both have had numerous issues with tendonitis, shin splints and plantar fasciitis, both while training and while actually walking our Caminos. My issue is that I just can't get my calfs stretched out enough due to a previous injury that I ignored. In the past, we went to PT for about 2 months before walking, but this year we purchased a TENS unit that we took along with us and used nightly. It was only about $40 and was smaller than a cell phone. It lasted 3 to 4 days without a recharge if we only used 2 wires and 4 pads. Highly recommend this for anyone who has muscle issues that prevent them from walking normally. We do use the compression socks after walking as well.

Curious as to if you use poles or not. I found that using poles forced me to walk in a more upright position which solved numerous issues for me.

 

[Chizuru]

My husband and I have both have had numerous issues with tendonitis, shin splints and plantar fasciitis, both while training and while actually walking our Caminos. My issue is that I just can't get my calfs stretched out enough due to a previous injury that I ignored. In the past, we went to PT for about 2 months before walking, but this year we purchased a TENS unit that we took along with us and used nightly. It was only about $40 and was smaller than a cell phone. It lasted 3 to 4 days without a recharge if we only used 2 wires and 4 pads. Highly recommend this for anyone who has muscle issues that prevent them from walking normally. We do use the compression socks after walking as well.

Curious as to if you use poles or not. I found that using poles forced me to walk in a more upright position which solved numerous issues for me.

Yes, I always use poles and I was training and going to a physio for months beforehand with a focus on calf and leg stretches, but I wasn't doing many on the actual walk. The TENS machine sounds interesting. I use luggage transport so the weight of bringing it along wouldn't be an issue. I am doing a short Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage in November so it will be good to try it out. What compression socks do you use?

 

[Chizuru]

I hope they help you as much as they did me. I’m a big fan of merino Sockwells, they have a nice cushy sole. Buen Camino!!

I will get a pair. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you use the over-the-calf length or the shorter hiking length?

 

[Charte57]

I will get a pair. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you use the over-the-calf length or the shorter hiking length?

Over the calf. Good luck!

 

[ratherbefollowingflechas]

The TENS unit is made by Auvon and we got it on Amazon for $35.99.

AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator Machine with 20 Modes, 2" and 2"x4" TENS Unit Electrode Pads. ​

The compression socks were over the calf and we wore them on the plane as well in the evenings after walking.

Buen Camino!

 

[Chizuru]

The TENS unit is made by Auvon and we got it on Amazon for $35.99.

AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator Machine with 20 Modes, 2" and 2"x4" TENS Unit Electrode Pads. ​

The compression socks were over the calf and we wore them on the plane as well in the evenings after walking.

Buen Camino!

Excellent. Thanks.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

So sorry, I’ve been in your shoes. I had to leave my first camino due to shin splints and tendinitis , I went back to finish a year later and it almost happened again. My whole world changed when I picked up a pair of compression socks in Leon, after that I was walking 30+ km a day with no pain at all. Seriously, they’re that good!

Someone else gave me the same tip, they arrived last night. Went for a short walk, here's hoping!
@Chizuru "this year we purchased a TENS unit that we took along "..
Never thought of that! I've got one sitting in a draw, thanks for the tip!

 

[Dawn Gibson]

I have walked two Caminos now and about 7 days in on both occasions I came down with severe tendinitis on my lower shins. On the Frances, I got it on my right leg, on Podiensis on my left leg. Each time, I strapped it, rubbed in Voltaren gel, ice and elevated them, and even took a rest day before I persevered with my walking. After around 10 days of excruciating walking, they finally recovered enabling me to finish my Caminos in comfort.
I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.
Thanks.

Hi . I thought I had tendinitis and walked in agony for days. It was my crisis point, and I honestly thought my Camino was over . Then a wonderful pharmacist in Hospital d'Orbigo saved me . She diagnosed shin splint and, with the help of a special bandage, I walked out of there a new woman, no pain at all, full of hope and determination . I finished my Camino in comfort. I have tried to buy another of the bandages here in the UK but with no luck, as I would like to take a left and a right one with me next time, just in case! So it will probably be the first purchase I make in St Jean Pied de Port next time

Hope this info is useful.

Buen Camino

 

[Shooter2021]

Hello and sorry for the pain , I learned to help this for some is very easy to drive your thumb down on the inside of your shin bone , just below the knee all the way down to the ankle several times , I was told it breaks up the lactic acid , I am not really sure if that is what it does , but it helped me complete the AT , onto the Camino early August .

 

[peregrina2000]

Stretching, stretching, stretching - you may get some odd looks but that's a small price to pay.

Totally agree! But like, @Pelerina, my “advice” comes very much in the non-medical, what works for me category.

I understand that tendonitis is caused by repetitive foot strikes, which means that on those caminos with a lot of pavement/asphalt/tarmac or whatever you call it, you are more prone to tendonitis. I have gotten it several times, and resorted to ice, elevation, slowing down, with pretty good success. But like you, I am going for prevention.

My trainer would have me incorporate a long pre-walking and post-walking stretching session for all my major muscles, but I just don’t have the patience for that! My modified approach is that whenever I start to feel the tiniest tinge of any muscle, I stop and stretch. From that point on, I do pre- and post- stretches for those muscles.

This has worked twice for me — on the Torres, leaving Salamanca on the first 10 kms of road walking, I started with a few pings in the shins. Stop, stretch, walk, and then repeat. I did a few stretches faithfully both pre-and post walking every day of the camino and also immediately stopped to stretch whenever Ifelt a ping. Never had any progression to a more serious pain. It also worked most recently on my Lana this year, when I had a little lower back pain. With stretching every night and morning, it disappeared, except for the day out of Cnenca when I had forgotten to do the stretches on my rest day.

So there you have two anecdotal experiences, but I think stretching is the best prevention.

 

[Former member 104756]

I understand that tendonitis is caused by repetitive foot strikes, which means that on those caminos with a lot of pavement/asphalt/tarmac or whatever you call it, you are more prone to tendonitis.

Yes, that was also my experience Laurie. Long periods of flat hard surfaces were often a precursor for me too. My doctor said the same - the repetitive foot strike aggravâtes thé situation. I get nervous when I know a long flat stretch is coming and I try to walk on whatever verge is available. I think that’s why I am happy climbing up and down on a dirt or grass path

PS. I was hyper vigilant on parts of the Mozarabe and Madrid ways.

 

[peregrina2000]

Long periods of flat hard surfaces were often a precursor for me too.

This leads me to frequently go to great lengths to walk on an unpaved surface. I remember on the Olvidado, there are 12 kms from Arija on the side of the road. I found that I could carefully pick my way on a grassy, slightly overgrown shoulder. My walking partner was way ahead of me by the time I got to the ascent to the Roman ruins, in fact she yelled down at me from the top, but it was definitely the way to go for me.

I now make a habit of looking carefully to see if there is a shoulder option for road walking. I will also add that since I started wearing trail runners, the extra cushioning has also reduced the bad effects of road walking.

 

[Former member 104756]

I hear ya. After years of loving my Salomon’s hiking shoes, I finally could no longer get the wide toe model I liked after it had been discontinued some years before. I’d been buying multiples pairs from outlet stores until even that supply dried up. So I needed to find another wide fit. Funnily enough I went back to Brooks trail runners which I was wearing on my early Caminos.

I am now wearing Brooks Cascadia D fit and they are very well cushioned. I love them but I don’t know how many kms I’ll get out of them. We have a 1000 km + walk coming up late in the year … we’ll see. I may send a second pair on to somewhere …. But agree I think the cushioning makes for an easier time on hard surface. .

Sorry for the diversion @Chizuru

 

[Chizuru]

Totally agree! But like, @Pelerina, my “advice” comes very much in the non-medical, what works for me category.

I understand that tendonitis is caused by repetitive foot strikes, which means that on those caminos with a lot of pavement/asphalt/tarmac or whatever you call it, you are more prone to tendonitis. I have gotten it several times, and resorted to ice, elevation, slowing down, with pretty good success. But like you, I am going for prevention.

My trainer would have me incorporate a long pre-walking and post-walking stretching session for all my major muscles, but I just don’t have the patience for that! My modified approach is that whenever I start to feel the tiniest tinge of any muscle, I stop and stretch. From that point on, I do pre- and post- stretches for those muscles.

This has worked twice for me — on the Torres, leaving Salamanca on the first 10 kms of road walking, I started with a few pings in the shins. Stop, stretch, walk, and then repeat. I did a few stretches faithfully both pre-and post walking every day of the camino and also immediately stopped to stretch whenever Ifelt a ping. Never had any progression to a more serious pain. It also worked most recently on my Lana this year, when I had a little lower back pain. With stretching every night and morning, it disappeared, except for the day out of Cnenca when I had forgotten to do the stretches on my rest day.

So there you have two anecdotal experiences, but I think stretching is the best prevention.

Yes, the first time I had it was the Meseta on the long, paved, flat track. I was in the peak of fitness and walking at a good pace. The second time I was also a peak fitness on a long, flattish section but it was a soft, braided, muddy track and I was lifting my feet up. We tightly strapped my foot to prevent dropping my toes which helped but I should have tried stretching at that point. By the end of the day, 10km later, it was too swollen and painful to stretch. We were in an isolated area with no pharmacy for Voltaran and no ice available.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes, the first time I had it was the Meseta on the long, paved, flat track. I was in the peak of fitness and walking at a good pace. The second time I was also a peak fitness on a long, flattish section but it was a soft, braided, muddy track and I was lifting my feet up. We tightly strapped my foot to prevent dropping my toes which helped but I should have tried stretching at that point. By the end of the day, 10km later, it was too swollen and painful to stretch. We were in an isolated area with no pharmacy for Voltaran and no ice available.

Hi, Chitzuru, This is probably obvious to you, but given your history of tendonitis, I think a good set of pre- and post- walking stretches to do every day would be a good idea. There are tons on the internet and a bit of searching reveals several that I would describe as go-to stretches.

Not that it’s the way for you to go, but I did 2, 3, and 4 in this video every morning, every night, and every time I felt a ping.

How to Get Rid of Shin Splints: Stretches, Prevention Tips

Shin splints can make it painful to exercise, but they can usually be treated at home. We explain how to treat them using conservative home remedies and stretches. We also share tips for preventing shin splints.

www.healthline.com

 

[Chizuru]

Hi, Chitzuru, This is probably obvious to you, but given your history of tendonitis, I think a good set of pre- and post- walking stretches to do every day would be a good idea. There are tons on the internet and a bit of searching reveals several that I would describe as go-to stretches.

Not that it’s the way for you to go, but I did 2, 3, and 4 in this video every morning, every night, and every time I felt a ping.

How to Get Rid of Shin Splints: Stretches, Prevention Tips

Shin splints can make it painful to exercise, but they can usually be treated at home. We explain how to treat them using conservative home remedies and stretches. We also share tips for preventing shin splints.

www.healthline.com

That is very helpful. I will incorporate them into my routine. I am very anxious not to repeat my tendinitis in my next pilgrimage, Kumano Kodo in November.

 

[Former member 104756]

Woo hoo. We loved the Kumàno Kodo (Nakahechi trail). We also walked in November. Enjoy.

 

[ginniek]

I recently went to a physiotherapist because I was starting to get pains in one knee, probably tendonitis. They showed me a series of exercises to strengthen the leg muscles, They also explained that with age, tendons wear out whereas you can maintain strength in your muscles with exercise. Anyway, ´seek the advice of a qualified professional´ is our mantra. They will give you sound advice on how to minimise the risk and how to alleviate the effects when they occur.

So true about strengthening the muscles to take over the function of various tendons (and sometimes other body parts) when they quit doing their jobs. At 76, that seems to be almost a full-time job, but the alternative is not even being considered. At least I'll be able to do another section of CF for about a week, later this month.

 

[Judith Bush]

Same thing with me on my first Camino. I was using poles and was told that I was “marching”
And walking with too much force which caused the shin splints. Now I try to walk as if kissing the earth

 

[camino07]

I have walked two Caminos now and about 7 days in on both occasions I came down with severe tendinitis on my lower shins. On the Frances, I got it on my right leg, on Podiensis on my left leg. Each time, I strapped it, rubbed in Voltaren gel, ice and elevated them, and even took a rest day before I persevered with my walking. After around 10 days of excruciating walking, they finally recovered enabling me to finish my Caminos in comfort.
I know that they will get better, but my question is, does anyone who has a tendency to get tendinitis in the shin have any tips for preventing a reoccurrence? I would love to walk without getting this curse.
I am looking for suggestions for before setting off, on what to do to minimise chances of reoccurrence once on Camino, and any more suggestions on how to ease it when it strikes.
Thanks.

On most of my Caminos, and following having shin splints I have found wearing compression shin sleeves (Skins brand) have saved me from repeating the agony.

 

[laineylainey]

I hope they help you as much as they did me. I’m a big fan of merino Sockwells, they have a nice cushy sole. Buen Camino!!

Where do you get the Merino sockwells? Are they also compression socks or something different?

 

[Roland2123]

I recently went to a physiotherapist because I was starting to get pains in one knee, probably tendonitis. They showed me a series of exercises to strengthen the leg muscles, They also explained that with age, tendons wear out whereas you can maintain strength in your muscles with exercise. Anyway, ´seek the advice of a qualified professional´ is our mantra. They will give you sound advice on how to minimise the risk and how to alleviate the effects when they occur.

Exactly! I agree with you. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional. My aunty has back pain, and she consulted a physiotherapist. Now she is under physiotherapy. She has felt a little progress now. It may take time to get better results. But I hope she will be fine.