With the robust variety of folks who frequent this board, I'm sure someone has had the same problem I have.

For the past 5-7 years (It's been a while, not exactly sure just HOW long), about this time each year, my shins really start to hurt (not the skin, rather the bone itself). The position of this pain runs approximately 2 inches in length vertically in front & on both sides on both my legs near the top of my boot. It "feels" like my lower legs get bruised. This gets to a point where I can't even cross my legs, or rest them on a coffee table, etc. After ski season is over, it usually takes 3-4 weeks for MOST of the pain to go away, but 6-8 weeks later, if I'm pressing around on the bone, I still feel it.

I have tried different boots & multiple adjustments (duct tape, add plastic here, remove it there, etc).

I ski 3-5 days every week. By Feb 1 each year, it almost brings tears to my eyes just to walk in ski boots.

I'm sure someone here has had this before and has a solution to my pain. Is it the bone, or could this be muscle?

I'm about to start looking into another pair of boots for next season since my current Heads are shot. Is there something I should look into to fix this problem? My last pair of boots were Technica TNT-RS (Blue-silicone injected). Both the Technica's & the Heads have injected tongues. Could this be causing my pain?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Are you sure it's not shin splints? I'm no trainer but I believe the solution is to first let them heal and then to strengthen your lower legs by doing calf raises and toe raises (flex your feet upwards - easy exercise you can do sitting at your desk). More supportive boots may help.

I'm not sure it's not shin splints... What's the difference? (seriously - for once, I'm not beiing a smart....)

I'll start those exercises, but I feel I have rather strong shins and calves.

thanks again

"Shin splints is the name given to pain at the front of the lower leg. The most common cause is inflammation of the periostium of the tibia (sheath surrounding the bone).

The injury is an overuse injury and can be caused by running on hard surfaces or running on tip toes. It is also common in sports where a lot of jumping is involved. If you over pronate then you are also more susceptible to this injury."

You can find some pretty good info at http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/lowerleg/shinsplints.htm.

My granddaughter got them every year while running on her high school track team. It would take her until mid season before she was relatively comfortable with them.

There is also a "brace" that can be used to help lessen the pain. I bought one for her and it did help a lot.

Cheers,

Great info Bill.... Thanks! This may be exactly what's going on with me.

Bill's right. The one time I got shin splints was when I tried the long jump in high school. The toe lifts helped me but I have heard that it can get serious if you continue to over work them and possibly even lead to stress fractures.

I snowboard so I can't say much about skiing or where the pressure is on your foot but perhaps shin splints could result from putting too much pressure on your toe.

jimmer, just in case it _isn't_ shin splints, you might try running your power strap inside the boot shell, so that it keeps the tongue directly agains your shins without a sock/tongue gap.

Take this advice with a large grain of salt.

Since your pain is localized to approximately a two-inch area near your boot cuff, I seriously doubt it is shin splints. Shin splints will generally have a diffuse area of soreness and pain across most of your shin area (you may have certain spots which hurt more than others.) Shin splints ended my collegiate running career, so I unfortunately know a bit too much about them. If you have intense localized pain, it may be a stress fracture. Only a doctor could diagnose that. Or shin splints for that matter.

Consider both your equipment and technique as possible causes of your shin bang. In addition to comprex's suggestion, are your boots too stiff wrt forward flex for the terrain you like to ski? Do you ski a lot of hard, icy bumps in racing boots?

WRT technique, you may be applying too much forward pressure on your boot cuffs. Constant shin pressure was the mantra for years, but today's equipment requires a more balanced stance. You may have certain points of your turn where you tend to jam your shins against your boots. A qualified instructor could help you there. One way to attempt a self-diagnosis is to ski with your buckles and power straps unbuckled/strapped. (I'm a bit wary giving out this particular bit of advice since you increase the chance of injury skiing this way, but if you ski 3-5 times a week you are most likely an advanced skier. Try this on terrain easier than what you normally ski.) When unbuckled, if you are lurching forward, almost out of your ski boots, you have a fore-aft stance problem.

Also try to "soften" your skiing by increasing your use of dynamic ankle flex to cushion the impact on your feet and lower legs. Boots that have too stiff a forward flex will make it difficult to do this.

Try padding the tongues of your boots. You can get tongue pads here.

You can also experiment on the cheap by cutting up old mouse pads to fit the front of the tongue and covering with duct tape. There really should be no gap between the tongue and your shin with your boots buckled.

Thanks everyone for the good info.

FWIW, my Head boots are rather soft, even though they aren't supposed to be (according to Head). They softened up the first year I had them. My TNT RS's were the softer blue models, not the solid bright orange ones everyone thinks of.

I frequently ski with 3 of my 4 buckles un-buckled & the last one very loose while teaching my lower level (level 6 & lower) lessons (I've been an instructor for 15 years, please don't tell the safety director I teach with my buckles un-done). I'm sure I do ski too much in the front, but I doubt it's enough to make a difference. Besides, it's also the sides of my shins that get almost as much of the bang also.

Thanks Otto for the link to the shin pads. I'll look into that. My tongue has a pretty snug fit, but I'll work it more with duct tape & mouse pads. If that works, I'll be ordering some shin pads. I was thinking if wearing soccer type shin-guards would help.

As far as the power strap goes, (I'm trying to picture it in my head), I believe it only attaches to the rear of the shell, the rest of the wrap is only on the liner. I'll take a look. If it's not, I'll move it to the inside to see if that helps.

thanks again!

Jimmer,

If you're an instructor, I seriously doubt the shin bang is due to technique. Especially if you teach a lot of lower level lessons and ski with your boots loose.

I'll get a bit of shin bruising myself when I ski a lot of icy bumps, very icy trails, or thick tricky crud. And I ski a lot less than you do. In fact, my shins are sore this morning from battling some icy bumps last night at Whitetail.

JohnL - thanks. But - there has to be something I can do. I know people who ski 5-6 days per week - Every week & don't have this problem. Guess I'll ask my GP next time I have a physical.

It stinks getting older!