Backpack Hunters, Any of you wear compression sleeves?

[BearDog]

This question is for the guys who like to put on a pack and hike up to the alpine. Do any of you guys use, or have tried compression sleeves that go around your calf's? I get bad shin splints, and I have had a few buddies who are long distance runners, swear by these compression sleeves. They reduce swelling, fatigue, and supposedly prevent the pain you get from shin splints. I was wondering if any of you have tried them on any back country hunts or hikes? Thanks!

 

[bhtkevin]

Long distance runners use them and they are great, but if you get shin splits hiking I would go see a sports medicine doctor. It could be something that needs to be stretched, strengthed or corrected.

 

[Treynol1]

I just heard that some doctors are wearing them in surgery for the very long procedures. There may be something to these.

 

[bob peterson]

Surgeons, or others involved in long periods of static standing, wear these to help prevent dependent pooling of blood in the lower extremities which can contribute to syncope, venous distention, clots....... if your muscles are actively contracting then there is no need. "Shin splints" are tiny tears in the fascia encasing the muscles and these tears are probably not going to be prevented by a supportive sleeve. You've got to increase the activity level slowly, you have to stretch, and you have to ice after your workouts.

 

[BackpackHunter]

BearDog - I have never used them when hiking, as I've never had a problem with shin splints in that scenario. I have however used them a lot while running. I tend to get shin splints when doing a lot of running and have used both compression socks and compression sleeves.

The compression sleeves I use are made by ZENSAH and are designed to help with shin splints. I can tell you with confidence I noticed a good bit of improvement when using them.

The compression socks I didn't notice any improvement, but this is expected as the ones I own are designed to promote blood flow, not prevent shin splints. Compression socks do great for recovery though. They help reduce swelling and improve recovery times. So one way you may implement compression socks is to wear them for a couple of hours at camp after hiking is done.

Everyone here is giving some good advice though. Start your activity levels slow and build in intensity and duration. Implement some warm ups, cool downs and stretching if you haven't already. There is tons of information on the internet on how to treat shin splints. If you can't seem to get it solved go to a doctor.

Not trying to complicate things further, but look at your boots. They may not be appropriate for what you are doing, or they may not fit properly.

 

[BearDog]

Thanks for all the info guys. I have really reduced the problem by switching how I work out and stretching before. Please no one take this as bragging, but im only 5'8 and one point was benching 405. So you can imagine that what I was doing for working out was not lending itself well to the grueling environment the backcountry has to offer. I was pretty much gassing out real quick on my hunts because all my muscles (especially in my legs) were used to short pushes, not sustained work outs. Lessoned learned.

Less weight & way more reps, stretching before and after, and spending a lot of time hiking hills with my pack made a huge difference in how this last season went. I know it will not be a quick fix after the years I spent working out the way I have, but it has made a huge difference in making the changes I have.

 

[BackpackHunter]

That's awesome. Glad things are working out for you.