Why Your Shins Hurt when Walking & How to Prevent Pain
Do you dread walking anywhere thanks to a mysterious pain that’s developed in your shins?
There are multiple possible explanations for a recurring pain in your shins whenever you go walking.
“Shin pain when walking can be due to exertional compartment syndrome, shin splints, tendonitis or stress fractures,” says Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
Dr. Alexander explains, “It’s important to obtain a good history as to when and what events trigger the pain.
“In addition if appropriate, a dietary history may be important in making a diagnosis.”
Shin Pain from Exertional Compartment Syndrome
The pain from this usually does occur in the lower leg, and though it’s usually induced by exercise, particularly running, it can occur to those whose only activity is walking.
There may also be tingling, numbness or weakness.
Pain from Shin Splints
Athletes and runners are more affected by this than are less active people, but again, walkers can get this condition of inflammation of the connective tissue along the shin bone.
Tendonitis
Tendons attach muscle to bone. An inflamed tendon, depending on the area of compromise, will make the lower leg hurt when walking.
Stress Fracture
A stress fracture is just that: a fracture from stress. The fracture is a tiny crack in a bone that’s too small to displace the bone.
What should be done?
“Possible solutions include proper stretching and warmup, orthotics to correct alignment, activity modification and/or a short course of anti-inflammatory agents,” says Dr. Alexander.
Orthotics are custom-made shoe inserts that help realign the foot.
Improper foot alignment can cause pain that travels up the leg.
Each specific possible cause for shin pain will have a unique course of treatment.
But regardless of cause, the common treatment among all will be that of reducing your walking time and/or intensity.
You may even need to back off entirely from non-essential walking until the injury heals.
Dr. Alexander’s sports experience covers many teams including those at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. Surgical and pain areas of expertise include the rotator cuff, ACL reconstruction, neck, back, hip and foot.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/ BEAUTY STUDIO
Why Running Might Cause Sharp Pain in the Knee
If running causes a sharp pain in one or both of your knees, don’t ignore this or try to “run it out.”
It is not normal and can have a variety of causes.
The human body was designed to run, and that’s how our ancient ancestors survived in the wilderness.
But today’s running is a lot harder on the joints and a lot more excessive in duration than what’s required for survival by a hunter-gatherer society of ancient or present-day times.
Knee Pain After Running
“Pain after running can be attributed to a wide variety of causes: meniscal pathology, ligamentous injury, exercise induced compartment syndrome or exertional compartment syndrome, cartilage degeneration or tendonitis,” explains Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
- Meniscus: cartilage in the knee joint
- Ligament: band of tissue that attaches bone to bone
- Compartment syndrome: pressure buildup involving the muscles, resulting in reduced blood flow. Can radiate pain to the knee.
- Tendon: band of tissue that attaches muscle to bone. Can become inflamed.
“Also, it’s not uncommon for runners to have iliotibial band syndrome or tight hamstrings,” continues Dr. Alexander.
The repetitive bending of the knee during running can lead to iliotibial band syndrome.
The IT band, a group of fibers, runs the length of one’s upper leg, from hip to the top of the shin.
Overuse can cause the IT band to tighten up. A tightened band can then rub against the outside of one’s knee — causing pain that’s hard to ignore and should never be ignored.
As for tight hamstrings, these are frequently a culprit in knee as well as low back pain.
“It’s important for runners to note when the symptoms occurred (immediately, in the middle, or at the end of your run), associated symptoms that you may have with that knee pain (such as numbness or tingling), and how long it takes for your symptoms to resolve.”
Dr. Alexander’s sports experience covers many teams including those at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. Surgical and pain areas of expertise include the rotator cuff, ACL reconstruction, neck, back, hip and foot.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com
Pain where Butt Meets Back of Thigh: Causes
Do you have a pain where your rear-end meets the back of your upper thigh?
This area is also known as the glute-hamstring tie-in or junction.
What could be causing pain there?
“Pain in the buttocks can be attributed to a wide variety of issues, such as nerve entrapment, bursitis, spinal pathology, tendonitis, and partial or complete hamstring injuries,” says Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
“Taking a good history and teasing out whether or not there are neurologic symptoms can help distinguish between an entrapped nerve versus muscle or tendon pathology.”
A mechanical cause of discomfort or pain where the butt muscles merge with the upper hamstrings is that of repeatedly decelerating very quickly from a hard run, as you might do when doing fast running intervals on a treadmill or in a parking lot.
You should never stop abruptly! Always gradually decelerate, taking at least 12 seconds. How do I know?
It happened to me: pain in the gluteus maximus hamstring junction from abrupt cessation of treadmill sprints.
I switched to a gradual slow-down of the speed once I completed each fast interval, and within a few weeks the discomfort where my buttocks meets the back of my thigh was nearly gone.
Competitive sprinters avoid stopping abruptly after a false start by gradually decelerating. You’ll see this at every Olympics.
They understand that a sudden stop from high-speed running can lead to muscle injuries.
Instead, they allow their body to slow down naturally, which helps to prevent strain and damage to their muscles.
This controlled deceleration minimizes the risk of injury and ensures they remain in good condition for their next attempt.
“Resting after the initial injury can be helpful,” says Dr. Alexander, regarding injuries in general to the area where the buttucks meets the thighs.
“Other possible solutions include anti-inflammatory agents, stretching and physical therapy once the initial pain subsides.”
Dr. Alexander’s sports experience covers many teams including those at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. Surgical and pain areas of expertise include the rotator cuff, ACL reconstruction, neck, back, hip and foot.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Cause of Neck Pain that Runs into the Left Shoulder
Though pain in the neck that makes its way down to the left shoulder usually has a benign orthopedic cause, lung cancer can also cause this symptom.
“Pain in the neck and shoulder region can be hard to discern,” says Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
Dr. Alexander continues, “Patients should note if the pain starts in the neck or shoulder. Radicular symptoms (pain that starts in the neck and shoots down the arm) can be helpful in figuring out if the pain is coming from the neck or shoulder. Neck pain tends to radiate past the elbow into the fingers.
“Pain in the neck can be due to arthritis, a herniated disc, or muscle spasms — to name a few.
“Shoulder pain also has a variety of causes, such as rotator cuff tears or inflammation, impingement, acromiocalvicular arthritis or shoulder separation, or labral pathology.”
In rare cases, pain in the shoulder that does not respond to orthopedic treatments or physical therapy may actually be caused by lung cancer.
James Heilman, MD, CreativeCommons
The tumor is at the top portion of the lung and is making contact with a nerve that leads into the shoulder.
This type of cancer, called a Pancoast tumor, may cause pain that radiates to the shoulder, upper back or arm, often without typical lung symptoms like coughing.
A doctor may order imaging tests like a chest X-ray, CT scan or MRI to look for tumors near the lung apex.
Dr. Alexander’s sports experience covers many teams including those at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. Surgical and pain areas of expertise include the rotator cuff, ACL reconstruction, neck, back, hip and foot.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
Comparing the Symptoms of Knee Bursitis with Chondromalacia
Chondromalacia patella and bursitis are common conditions that involve the kneecap, causing distinct pain.
But does one have any unique characteristic that the other one doesn’t?
“Bursitis usually involves inflammation of the prepatellar bursa,” says Reggie Alexander, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopaedic Specialists in Los Angeles, CA.
“It can be exacerbated by kneeling. It may be associated with local tenderness. Patellofemoral syndrome involves anterior [front] knee pain that can be exacerbated by kneeling, stairs or squatting.
“There may be crepitus (popping or crackling) in the patellofemoral joint when the knee is taken through range of motion.”
This range of motion can include simply extending and flexing the knee (straightening and bending) from a standing or seated position.
Any way for the layman to know what their knee condition is more likely to be?
“The presence or absence of swelling is helpful for determining this,” says Dr. Alexander.
“If swelling is present, it’s more likely to be knee bursitis as opposed to patellofemoral syndrome.
“Also, people should keep track of what activities exacerbate their symptoms.
“If kneeling is the only activity that exacerbates your symptoms, it’s more likely to be knee bursitis.”
If there’s no pain or discomfort when going up stairs, this does not rule out patellofemoral syndrome (which many laypeople also refer to as chondromalacia).
However, the feature symptom of this condition is that of increasing pain as one deepens into a squat or crouching position.
Any home tests they can give themselves to provide a clue to which condition they have?
Dr. Alexander says, “Note whether or not pain occurs with range of motion or if it’s isolated to one spot.
“If it’s isolated to one spot, then it is more likely to be knee bursitis.
“Also, if you’re experiencing swelling, it’s more likely to be knee bursitis.”
Dr. Alexander’s sports experience covers many teams including those at the University of Chicago and at UCLA. Surgical and pain areas of expertise include the rotator cuff, ACL reconstruction, neck, back, hip and foot.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Lopolo
Can Liver Disease Odor Really Smell Like Bleach?
A GI doctor addresses the question of can liver disease cause a bleachy odor.
Have you ever seen references online stating that liver disease can cause an odor in the patient that’s like bleach or “bleachy”?
“No, it does not smell like bleach,” says Jeffrey Fine, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the Medical Surgical Clinic of Irving.
“It’s hard to describe, but it’s usually a very distinct, very pungent odor, and it’s called fetor hepaticus.
“It’s unclear whether it’s ammonia, ketones and/or dimethyl sulfide, but by the time a patient is experiencing this, their liver is in bad shape.”
Perhaps whoever wrote that the odor of liver disease smells like bleach was instead thinking of ammonia.
What about an ammonia smell associated with liver disease?
Dr. Fine says, “The smell associated with liver disease is very distinct and extremely pungent.
“It may be ammonia-like, but it is not the same as the smell of a baby’s diaper (which can smell like ammonia) or sweat from a healthy individual after exercising (some exercisers report an ammonia smell post-workout).”
The odor of liver disease will emanate from a person’s mouth.
Spouses of patients have described the smell as that of “sweet and fecal.”
By the time a person’s liver disease begins causing a maladorous body or breath odor, there will be other symptoms present, such as jaundice, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, nausea and appetite suppression.
Pungent armpit odor in an otherwise healthy person is not a sign of liver disease.
Dr. Fine has been in practice for over 30 years and specializes in digestive health, integrative medicine and food sensitivities.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Source: healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=25&m=2084180
What Part of the Body Does Liver Disease Odor Come From?
Liver disease can cause a strong body odor, but just what does this mean?
What body part does this stink come from? Is it the entire body or some localized area like the armpit?
You may have read online references to “body odor” when it comes to liver disease, but not much more information than that.
When liver disease causes a change in body odor (regardless of the type of odor), a specific region of the body emits this.
“The odor is caused by the inability of the liver to break down proteins correctly,” says Jeffrey Fine, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the Medical Surgical Clinic of Irving.
“It’s coming from the lungs through the mouth. It’s seen in portal hypertension, where there’s significant portosystemic shunting.”
In portal hypertension there is increased blood pressure in the portal vein, which carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver.
This elevated pressure often results from liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, where scarring blocks blood flow and forces the blood to find alternative routes.
The increased pressure can lead to complications like variceal bleeding (enlarged veins that can rupture), ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen) and an enlarged spleen — along with the odor.
A portosystemic shunt means that the vascular connection between the GI tract and liver, due to a pathology, is bypassed (shunted).
“This is a late sign of liver failure,” says Dr. Fine. “Individuals who are experiencing this body odor are in bad shape and should’ve already been seen by a liver transplant hepatologist and surgeon.”
Does it occur even if the patient is NOT perspiring?
Dr. Fine says, “Yes. The odor is caused by the inability of the liver to break down proteins correctly. It comes from the lungs through the mouth.”
You can be a nondrinker and still acquire liver disease. Risk factors for liver disease include excessive alcohol consumption, which can lead to fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
Viral infections such as hepatitis B and C are also significant contributors, as they can cause chronic inflammation and damage to liver cells.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can progress to more severe liver damage.
Certain medications and toxins, as well as a family history of liver disease, can further increase susceptibility.
Can the development of the change in odor occur suddenly, and/or is it usually over a long period of time?
Dr. Fine explains, “The smell can wax and wane, but by the time a person experiences it, they are already in the advanced stages of liver disease.”
Dr. Fine has been in practice for over 30 years and specializes in digestive health, integrative medicine and food sensitivities.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Nerthuz
Can Bad Body Odor Be the Only Symptom of Liver Disease?
If you begin noticing your body is starting to smell bad, but you feel fine otherwise, is it possible this can be early liver disease?
What if you wash and shower and it doesn’t go away? Have you been wondering about this?
By the time liver disease causes a malodorous odor…does the patient necessarily have other symptoms of this liver disease?
“This odor is indicative of advanced liver disease,” says Jeffrey Fine, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the Medical Surgical Clinic of Irving.
“If a patient’s condition has progressed to this state, other symptoms are likely to be present.”
And those other symptoms would be some or all of the following:
- jaundice
- upper stomach pain
- fatigue
- weight loss
- distended belly
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- chalk-colored or greyish stools.
Can a bad body odor be the only symptom — even temporarily? And then could other symptoms would soon follow?
“Generally speaking, by the time a patient has the bad odor associated with liver disease, they’re in an advanced stage and other symptoms will likely be present,” says Dr. Fine.
“However, these symptoms may improve if the liver function improves.”
Where in the body does this smell come from? Armpits?
“I have not seen a case where the odor only came from the armpit,” says Dr. Fine.
“In the cases I’ve seen, the odor comes from the lungs through the mouth.”
What types of liver disease cause this bad odor?
“All types of liver disease affect body odor like this, but only if they’re in liver failure,” says Dr. Fine.
“The bad odor is caused by the inability of the liver to break down proteins correctly.”
Dr. Fine has been in practice for over 30 years and specializes in digestive health, integrative medicine and food sensitivities.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/ESB Professional
Why “Sitting Disease” Is the New Smoking, plus Solutions
At least four hours a day of sitting is dangerous to health, increasing mortality, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, blood clot risks and more.
Do YOU have the “sitting disease”?
Who would have ever thought that spending lots of time every day in a nice comfy chair could be so threatening to one’s health?
But the research can’t be ignored, and it’s mounting more and more.
You may be wondering, Where was all this research 10 years ago?
Well, just because it took a long time for medical researchers to catch on to the sitting disease, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Just like with smoking. For years, attention to the harm of smoking was well under the radar, but gradually over time, as study after study proved that smoking is dangerous to health, people became increasingly aware of smoking’s harm to the body.
Similarly, information on the dangers of prolonged sitting has really picked up steam, and there are no studies that contradict the existence of sitting disease.
Shutterstock/FrameStockFootages
Our ancient ancestors, and modern-day hunter-gatherers, do not spend hours and hours sitting like people in industrialized societies do.
Prolonged sitting goes against the nature of our body.
The scary thing about all this is that even strenuous exercise sessions, done DAILY, will NOT offset the negative health effects of sitting for hours every day!
So if you’re hitting the gym like a grizzly bear several times a week, bench pressing and deadlifting hundreds of pounds, dripping sweat from your Tabata workouts and heavy-bag routines…guess what:
This is why it’s so very important to avoid sitting for longer than one hour at a time.
In fact, it would be very wise to get up every 30 to 45 minutes if you know you’ll be sitting for a very long time doing computer work at home or on the job.
“If a person goes on an eight hour flight, they will usually be very aware of the DVT risk,” says Dr. David Beatty, MD, a retired general practitioner with 30+ years of experience and an instructor of general medicine for 20+ years.
A DVT is a deep vein thrombosis: a dangeorus blood clot.
“They’ll do leg exercises, move the calf muscles, get up for a walk to stretch the legs,” continues Dr. Beatty, referring to people in airplanes.
“Do they do any of this when they sit behind a desk for the working day?”
The answer is no, strangely enough — no for many of them.
But excess sitting on land — at home or in the office — increases the risk for DVT.
Excessive sitting, regardless of your fitness habits, is an independent risk factor for various conditions, including increased risk of death from any cause.
Sitting Disease Solutions
– Get a treadmill desk and do as much computer use as possible on it.
– Stand or pace while watching TV, even if it’s just during commercials.
– Stand while on the phone.
– If you don’t have a treadmill desk for computer work, set a timer that goes off every 30 to 45 minutes, then get up and do something, anything (chores, calve raises, pushups, marching in place, watering the houseplants, playing with the dog, etc.)
– Stand while eating.
Dr. Beatty has worked in primary medicine, surgery, accident and emergency, OBGYN, pediatrics and chronic disease management. He is the Doctor of Medicine for Strong Home Gym.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Barefoot Walking on a Treadmill Desk
Don’t walk barefoot on your treadmill desk, even if you love to go around your home barefoot.
Walking barefoot on a treadmill desk is not a good idea.
In fact, there’s really no logical reason to walk barefoot on a treadmill desk.
You may have read that barefoot running has some benefits.
Though the verdict on this is still a bit foggy, there are studies that show running barefoot for some of your runs may be worthwhile.
A Harvard University study endorses barefoot running outdoors.
So one might gather that jogging around without shoes means that it’s safe, even beneficial, to walk without shoes on a treadmill desk.
Shoeless Walking
Modern-day hunter-gatherers, who go just about everywhere barefoot, walk on mostly natural surfaces (think soft earth).
However. the tread belt of any kind of treadmill is a very unnatural surface.
- It’s not earth.
- It’s made in a factory.
- It doesn’t give.
- It’s hard.
- This can hurt your feet over time.
In fact, if you were to try walking, even very slowly, on your treadmill desk in your bare feet, it should start getting uncomfortable within minutes.
The benefits of barefoot running or walking on earth do not carry over to a machine’s tread surface.
I have a treadmill desk. I’ve used it while my feet were in socks with “booties” over them, and even THEN, just 10 minutes of doing this for the first time became uncomfortable.
The only reason I did it was because I was too lazy to put on shoes.
Walking barefoot on a tread surface can lead to repetitive stress injuries including strain of the toes; it’s happened to me while wearing the sock-bootie combo.
Wear what’s comfortable. There’s no reported health or fitness advantage to going barefoot on a treadmill desk.
There’s also no science (so far, anyways) that supports the idea that wearing comfortable and supportive walking shoes while on a treadmill will cause harm.
I suppose it’s just a matter of time before someone comes up with a treadmill desk with a cushion-like belt.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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