# Shins



## Ash_MT (Mar 21, 2005)

Hey all, 

 Do you do any sort of extra conditioning or have extra protection for your shins aside from the normal shin pads? The reason I ask is because a couple of weeks ago I was sparring and went to round house kick someone and I'm not sure what happened, if I hit an elbow or knee or what but there was just a burst of pain in my lower leg including my shin/calf and the ankle a little bit, making it uncomfortable to walk for a couple days. 

 I thought it had healed up, and maybe it did, but this weekend I had my first tournament and in the first match the same exact thing happened. A couple of my roundhouses connected with something and just a burst of pain in my lower leg, now I'm walking all gimpy again. Grrr :disgust:

 I would imagine this type of thing would be common in arts that kick alot. Any suggestions for avoiding this in the future? Thanks!


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## OUMoose (Mar 21, 2005)

Any brusing or localized tenderness while it was healing?  How thick are the pads you're using?  Do you have any pain when kicking pads or a heavy bag?  By the sounds, a nerve bundle was struck, as your description denotes the pain in the whole lower leg.  To my knowledge, the best thing you can do is strap on some heavier shin guards and train on some softer targets.  That will desensitize your shins over time, and remember it's not a fast process.  I would also recommend some of the training linements (like Dit Da Jow) that might help take the edge off after training during recovery.  Once you feel confident, move to the lighter pads again, but stick with the softer targets and keep working up.  Eventually, you'll be kicking down walls with no pain.   (ok, that's an exaggeration, but it sounds good! )

Hope that helps!


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## dubljay (Mar 21, 2005)

I have never really had to deal with this myself from years of playing soccer (thats one way to desensetize your shins).  However from my soccer experience I can say that the plasic style soccer shin guards are very good at dissapating blunt impacts.  You could try wearing those with regular foam guards over them as you develop in your training.  As OU said everything takes time.  More importantly you should pay attention to your body.  Learning to handle pain is important, but ignoring it all together can lead to permenent serious injury.  So when in doubt see your doctor or physical trainer.


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