Shin splints is a condition that causes pain in the shins or the front of the lower legs. The associated pain results from excessive or repeated amounts of force on the shin bone and the tissues attaching it to the surrounding muscles. This force causes the muscles to swell (as a defensive mechanism) which in turn, increases the pressure against the bone leading to pain and inflammation. The pain occurs during or after walking or running.
Symptoms of shin splints
The main symptoms of shin splints include:
- Discomfort in the front of the lower leg with an increase of pain on either side of the shin bone during exercise
- Muscle pain along the inner part of the lower leg which causes soreness or the area becomes tender along the inner part of the lower leg
What causes shin splints?
- Overloading and overuse of your leg muscles, tendons or shin bone
- Often this is caused in either high impact activities and/or repetitive exercise of your lower legs. This is one of the reasons why runners, gymnasts and dancers often get shin splints
Treatment and prevention of shin splints
- Train/run on flat, softer surfaces
- Reduce your high-impact exercise by either reducing your speed and/or distance
- Switch to low-impact exercise like walking until the pain has lessened
- It is important you warm up properly and graduate your training programme
- Shin splints can be treated at home with rest, anti-flammatory painkillers and using ice to reduce the swelling
- It is highly recommended that you invest in supportive trainers and Enertor Running PX1 insoles if it is a recurring injury. This device controls movements and gives stability, ensuring your lower leg muscles do not have to work quite as hard and shin splints will be less likely to occur.