How Do I Know If I Have Shin Splints?
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints refers to the pain felt at the front of the shin and is usually associated with an increase in activity levels. Many people who start running for the first time or suddenly increase the distance that they run may experience this discomfort or pain.
It happens when the muscle becomes inflamed and may pull on the bone causing further irritation.
How Do I Know If I Have Shin Splints?
Shin splints are felt often to the front and side of the shin. They usually come on first after activity and then feel better with rest. However, if ignored the pain becomes more persistent and the inflammation lasts longer. The pain feels different depending on the person but tends to be diffuse with a dull ache which gets more localised and persistent with time.
Shin splints start with pain on activity or when someone has been doing the activity for some time. As it gets worse the person may experience pain even at rest. What tends to happen is that the pain comes on sooner and lasts longer as the condition progresses.
Since it is an inflammatory response you may find that the area feels bigger compared to the other leg. It may also feel a bit warm as well, with tenderness to touch.
Who Gets Shin Splints?
This is a common condition in runners, especially if they start running for the first time or increase their distance. If you are running on the road you are at increased risk due to the hardness of the surface. In the Caribbean, where pavements and sidewalks are not always available, many runners are forced to run on the side of the road where there is a natural gradient or slope. Running consistently on this angle puts uneven pressure on the tissues of the lower leg, increasing your risk of shin splints.
Other athletes may also be affected if they do a lot of jumping or loading of the lower leg. In fact shin splints can also be an issue for military personnel who do a lot of marching in hard-soled shoes.
It is important for people who have either flat feet or high arches to ensure that they have well-fitting running shoes, since the level of shock absorption in the foot — or lack thereof — can affect the ground reaction force travelling up to the shin.
How Are Shin Splints Different From a Stress Fracture?
Shin splints involve inflammation of the soft tissues around the shin bone. If left untreated, the repeated stress on the bone can progress to a stress fracture, where the bone tissue becomes irritated to the point of developing small cracks in it.
What Should I Do If I Think I Have Shin Splints?
If you suspect you are dealing with shin splints, rest from any activity that is aggravating it. This may mean that instead of stopping running completely, you decrease the amount you do. If you notice that the pain comes on at a certain point into the activity, stop at least five to ten minutes before that point.
Icing can be helpful to reduce some of the discomfort. Wearing compression socks is also helpful to manage the swelling. Check your shoes to ensure they do not need replacing and that they are providing you with the best support.
A physiotherapist can assess your condition and provide you with exercises and advice specific to your situation. The aim is to reduce the symptoms while identifying the root cause and addressing that. Strengthening the muscles in that area will also be helpful.
If you are training for a race or competition, cross training or doing an activity which reduces stress on your legs will help to maintain your fitness while you recover.
How Long Do Shin Splints Take to Heal?
This depends on the severity and how quickly you take action. It may take as long as six to eight weeks. However, this can be sped up with the right treatment and rest, implementing activities which aid in the healing of the affected muscle and bone tissue.
Healing is slowed by continued exposure to aggravating activities.
How Do I Prevent Shin Splints From Coming Back?
You can prevent shin splints from coming back by monitoring your training load and checking your footwear regularly, replacing it when appropriate, and making sure you are wearing the right shoes for your foot type in the first place.
Stretching and strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities while working on general mobility of the legs is also helpful. Strengthening your core supports how your whole body functions and moves.
Your physiotherapist can help you not only with treatment but with prevention of future episodes as well.
So although shin splints is a common condition, it is not something you have to suffer through on your own. There are treatments which can successfully help you eliminate the problem and get you back to the activity of choice.