Shin Splints

It’s Spring and your running shoes are ready to be dusted off to hit the trails and road. But beware!!! Your nice, long run may result in the development of shin splints.

The term “shin splints” refers to pain and tenderness along the crest of the shin bone or tibia. It’s what doctors clinically refer to as medial tibial stress syndrome. So what causes them?

Abrupt changes in the intensity or duration of physical activity, such as with a running program, are the most common cause. Repetitive activity, without proper conditioning, can result in inflammation of the muscles and tendons where they attach to the bone. This generally reflects an underlying imbalance in the musculature along the front and back of the leg.

Here are some easy home treatments that can alleviate you pain and get you back on the road:

• The use of anti-inflammatory medications, ice and compressive wraps will alleviate some of your immediate symptoms

• Switching to other conditioning exercises and cross-training can help to avoid re-injury

• Be sure to warm up appropriately. Stretching after exercising is just as important as stretching before.

• Allow yourself several weeks of rest from strenuous exercise before returning to activity

• When you return to strenuous exercise, make sure to start at a lower intensity and for a shorter duration of time. Then work your way back up.

• Immediately stop exercising if you feel pain after returning to exercise.

When should you see your doctor? If your pain does not improve after attempting to treat it with the above suggestions, this may be a sign of something larger. Sometimes the pain associated with shin splints may represent a stress fracture, tendinitis or other issues. If you have any questions or concerns about your leg pain, schedule an appointment with your doctor today.

• Posted by Pete S. Deol, D.O. over 2 years ago
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