If you have experienced that throbbing pain in your shins after your daily jog, or even a quick sprint to catch the bus, then you know that annoying pain caused by shin splints. Shin splints is one of the most common injuries that connects runners all over the world. The nature of shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), most often can be captured in four words: too much, too soon.
Shin splints are an irritation on the front of your lower leg that manifests as pain, swelling, and soreness. The pain is caused by muscles pulling on the shin bone called the tibia. This happens due to overworking and overloading the muscles and bone (tibia) load of the lower extremity. Symptoms often come on gradually and consist of pain over the inside lower part of the tibia or shin bone. There may be pain at the start of exercise which often eases as the session continues only to come back worse later in the training session or afterward. The most common causes of shin splints is running on uneven surfaces, not wearing the proper running shoes, running on hilly surfaces, and frequently stopping and starting during activity.
The best way to heal shin splints is to rest from the activity that caused them to appear. We understand that this is not always an option, so there are some other things that can be done to lessen their severity. Dr. Robert Warkala, an active runner, suggests icing the area for 15 minutes 5 times a day, getting new running shoes that properly support your feet, and taking over the counter medication that also has an anti-inflammatory agent to reduce swelling. Providing support with an appropriate insole or custom orthotic can also provide the biomechanical support and control needed to reduce the pull of the muscles and prevent the pain from returning.
Shin splints are a very common obstacle that many athletes have to overcome. Just because you have shin splints does not mean you need to stop a sport or activity that you love. If the information above does not help to alleviate the pain then you may want to contact our office to be further evaluated. Call now or request your appointment online TODAY!