How to Prevent and Treat the Pain of Shin Splints

Symptom

If you have a shin splint, you may feel a sharp pain or a dull ache on the inside of the shin bone (tibia) when performing physical activities such as walking, running, or dancing. You may feel more pain in the front of the leg when wearing the anterior shin brace or the back of the leg in the case of a posterior shin brace. There may also be mild swelling around the inside of the lower leg, between the knee and the ankle.

Shin splints can be:

• Intense or dull and aching
• Feeling during exercise or activity
• Painful or tender to the touch
• Continuous, leading to stress fractures

Reason

Shin splints are inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and connective tissue caused by repetitive stress and overactivity. Overuse can happen when you start a new activity without proper pacing and gradually build up tolerance with the new exercise.

Overuse can also happen if you don’t get enough rest and recovery between workouts. Other factors include anatomical problems with your feet or stride and wearing the wrong footwear.

Training change

Shin splints can happen when you suddenly increase your physical activity, with a new activity, or by changing something in your current program.

If you’ve added hills, uneven ground, or concrete surfaces to your jogging or walking route, you may be putting stress on your body too quickly. The same goes if you’ve recently added frequency, intensity, speed, or mileage to your workouts.

Leg shape

Your foot shape may play a role in your risk of shin splints. For example, the arch of your foot may be an additional risk factor, with shin splints being seen more often in people with flat feet or high, rigid arches.

Shoes that don’t fit

Worn shoes or not having shoes that fit your foot can increase your risk of shin splints.

Walk

Overeating can also cause shin splints. Overrunning occurs in running and walking when you extend your front foot too far forward. Not only will it put stress on your shins, but it’s also inefficient and doesn’t help your speed.

The treatment

You can often reduce shin splints with self-care techniques. Take these steps to treat the condition if it occurs:

Top

At the first sign of shin splint pain, stop your activity until the pain goes away. If you must return to the starting position, walk at an easy pace and try to walk on softer surfaces (instead of concrete). The trail will be the softest, but asphalt is also much better than concrete.

If your shin splints recur, you should take two to four weeks off walking or running to allow your shin to heal. Use that time for other activities like swimming or biking, which won’t put stress on your shins.

Compressed Garments

Calf and shin compression can help prevent swelling from getting worse while you rest and recover. You can use elastic bandages or shin and calf wraps, leg sleeves, or knee-high compression stockings to support your shins.

Ice and Painkiller

Use a cold pack on your shin for 20 minutes at a time, several times per day, taking care to place a towel or cloth between your leg and the ice so the cold pack doesn’t come into direct contact with your skin.

You can use an over-the-counter nonsteroidal pain reliever such as Advil (ibuprofen) if you have persistent swelling or pain. If you’re taking any medications, ask your doctor which pain reliever is the best option for you.

Heat therapy and massage

After pain and swelling have subsided, which can take two to three days, you can wrap heat therapy a few minutes before and after exercise, whether that’s after you return to walking and running. normal or any other exercise.

A deep tissue massage of the shin muscles and tendons can also be soothing. Find a professional sports massager to help you if you think it will benefit you.

Rehabilitation exercises

Stretching and strengthening the calf muscles can help treat and prevent shin splints, as strained calf muscles are what causes the condition. The toe lift and lower leg stretch can help build the surrounding muscles and improve their flexibility so you can get through the shin splint.

You may want to consult a physical therapist to learn the exercises and techniques needed to strengthen and balance the leg muscles.

Suitable footwear

While you’re recovering, check your footwear to see if it’s time to change shoes. This is the right time to visit a specialized athletic shoe store and purchase the right shoes for your activities.

You may also want to consult with your pediatrician about whether an assistive device or brace is right for your arch. Studies have found that orthotics are helpful in preventing tibial stress syndrome.

The recuperation

Once you’ve been pain free for two weeks, you can begin to return to the physical activity that triggered your shin splint. Use these tactics to avoid a relapse:

• Easy to do it. Don’t rush back to the same intensity level as before. Go slow and rest during the day.
• Lasts after booting. Stop and do your stretching routine, especially the legs, after the warm-up.
• Increase speed only after starting. If you feel shin pain, slow down.
• Look for softer surfaces. Avoid concrete and other hard surfaces for running, walking or playing sports if possible.
• Slow down or stop if you feel pain from the shin splint. If the pain doesn’t go away quickly at a lower pace, end your run or walk.
• Apply ice after exercise. Ice your shin for 20 minutes after exercising.

Prevent

If you want to avoid shin pain or you’re starting to return to your routine after recovering from a shin splint, consider the do’s and don’ts to keep your feet healthy and free. injured.

Do

• Alternating active days. Do not engage in vigorous activities for two days in a row. Give your shins and other muscles a recovery day between hard training sessions or long active days.
• Add in cross-training. Increasing your strength and building muscle can help reduce pressure on your lower extremities. The core muscles are usually weaker and can’t provide enough support when you start working out. Increasing your strength and stability can help avoid stress on your shins.
• Choose walking shoes with flexible soles and low heels. If you wear an inflexible shoe with a stiff sole, your feet and shins will work against them with every step. Walkers can avoid shin splints by choosing flexible shoes, even if they’re labeled as running shoes. Walking shoes should be relatively flat, with no raised heels.
• Equip running and walking shoes. According to studies, overtraining is a risk factor for shin splints. A technical running shoe store will evaluate you for overfitting and recommend a pair of motion control shoes if needed.
• Change your footwear every 350 to 500 miles.
• Get shock-absorbing insoles for boots. Military boots and hiking boots without padding. Adding a shock-absorbing sole has proven to be helpful.

Do not

• Leaving shoes for too long. Replace old shoes often. The cushioning and support in your sneakers wears out every 500 miles, often long before the soles or uppers wear out.
• Exceed. Excessive running while walking or running can contribute to your shin splints. Keep your stride longer in the back and shorter in the front. Go faster by pushing out more with your back foot.
• Skip the startup. Warm up with a slow jog before going fast. When walking, warm up at an easy pace for 10 minutes before you begin your workout at a faster pace or more intense.

A very good word

Don’t let shin splints stop you from being physically active. They can be a slight bump on the road that you might pass. While healing, try activities that don’t put stress on your shins, such as swimming, cycling, and strength exercises. It’s smart to enjoy a variety of exercise and activities.