Common Questions About Shin Splints Answered
, by Alexander Davies, 6 min reading time
Shin splints are a common injury caused by exercise, mostly running. As the name suggests, they cause tenderness and pain in the lower leg around the shin bone. The good news is that while shin splints are painful and can prevent you from doing the exercise you love, they aren't serious and usually improve within a few weeks. At Bearhug, we don't want anything to hold you back from achieving your next PB, especially shin splints. That's why we've put together this helpful guide answering the most common questions about them.
Shin splints are a common injury caused by exercise, mostly running. As the name suggests, they cause tenderness and pain in the lower leg around the shin bone. The good news is that while shin splints are painful and can prevent you from doing the exercise you love, they aren't serious and usually improve within a few weeks. At Bearhug, we don't want anything to hold you back from achieving your next PB, especially shin splints. That's why we've put together this helpful guide answering the most common questions about them.
What Are Shin Splints and What Causes Them?
Shin splints are a type of pain that affects the lower leg around the shin bone. Medically, shin splints are called medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). They're common in runners, but dancers and people in the military often suffer from them, too.
Essentially, they're caused when too much strain and stress are put on the tibia, or shin bone, and the surrounding tissues, which causes them to become inflamed. The main causation factor is usually a spike in training particularly running load. This usually occurs when training volume quickly increases for example pre - season or training for a longer distance race and increasing training volumes too quickly.
Other factors that can impact developing shin splints are:
- Don't have a good running technique
- Jump or run on hard or uneven surfaces
- Have only recently started exercising
- Have flat feet
- Have shoes that don't fit properly or are worn out
What Are the Early Signs of Shin Splints?
Pain and tenderness along the shin and inside of the lower leg are the first signs. The pain tends to feel like a dull ache after exercise. It can range from mild to more severe. Other signals that you might have shin splints include shin pain that goes away when you are resting, a pain that comes on when you begin exercising, a lower leg that is tender to touch, and bruising.
What Other Issues Can Be Mistaken for Early Signs of Shin Splints?
Other conditions have symptoms similar to those of shin splints. These include:
- Muscle strain – damage to muscle fibres from overstretching the muscles.
- Stress fractures – tiny breaks in your tibia that are caused by repeated stress on the bone.
- Tendon issues – overusing the tendon can cause tendinopathy, which causes shin pain and swelling.
- Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) – this condition makes it difficult for blood to flow to the muscle due to a build-up of pressure in the lower leg, causing pain.
If your shin pain prevents you from carrying out daily tasks or worsens, you must speak to your GP or physio to help determine the underlying cause.
How Do I Recover from Shin Splints?
Shin splints usually get better within a few weeks on their own.
However, there are some steps you can take to help relieve the pain and recover from it more quickly:
- Stop doing the exercise that caused your shin splints in the first place while you're healing.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you need pain relief.
- Wrap an icepack in a towel and apply to the area for 20 minutes every few hours.
- Do gentle stretches to strengthen your lower leg muscles.
- Ensure your footwear is shock-absorbent to help cushion you when you are running.
- When back running, avoid running on hard surfaces and take it slow.
If they don't seem to be getting better with self-care, your GP might recommend seeing a physiotherapist or podiatrist to get orthotic insoles for your shoes.
Should You Exercise When Recovering from Shin Splints?
The most effective way to treat shin splints is rest. You shouldn't do the exercise that caused the shin splints for around two weeks while recovering. Instead of running, it might be a good idea to cycle, swim, or do yoga, as these are low-impact exercises that are gentle on the joints and reduce stress on the shin. Gentle stretches can help you strengthen your lower leg and lessen the chances of shin splints reoccurring in the future. Some people choose to walk or run at a lower intensity or frequency when they are recovering. Compression sleeves can help relieve pain, boosting blood flow to the area to reduce inflammation.
Can I Stop Shin Splints from Returning?
The good news is that you can prevent shin splints from coming back. When returning to play and running here are some things to consider for shin splint prevention:
- Warm Up : A diligent thorough warm up protocol for your lower limbs will help prepare your body, muscles and joints for the upcoming session - don’t forget to cool down too!
- Calf & Foot Strengthening : There are some exercises that you can do to target strengthening your lower leg, calf foot and toes to be ready stronger and help with running technique.
- Training Programme : A sensible training program that slowly and gradually increases the volume of work and running is essential.
- Running Drills : Specific targeted running drills can improve foot and ankle stiffness which can help alleviate shin splints and its symptoms. These drills can be carried out on grass which is softer underfoot and can help absorb some of the impact.
- Shoes : Wearing well fitted and appropriate shows can help support your feet and body when you run.
- Compression : Use of Bearhug support can provide support and stability to the calf and tibialis muscles and improved circulation to the tissues.
Don't be afraid to seek support from a GP or physiotherapist if your shin splints don't appear to get better.
