What is Shin Splints and the best treatment for it?

What exactly is shin splints, it's symptoms and causation factors?

Shin splints is a term given to any pain in the front of the shin. It could be anterior shin splints or posterior shin splints depending on which muscle is most affected. It is one of the most feared conditions a runner can get and can put you out of action for months! Symptoms are a pain in the shin area: it may be sharp and acute or a dull ache. It depends on which stage it is at.

Causation is usually “too much, too soon”, e.g. a sudden increase in hills, intensity or frequency of training. Usually, if you have a period of rest early on, it will subside. Sometimes causation is biomechanical, like a new pair of running shoes which increase the pronation of the foot.

One cause we see often is simply poor biomechanics that you can get away with if you just run 5 km once a week. But when people start to train for a half marathon or a full marathon, any biomechanical problems come to the surface and need to be addressed.

What can I do to help avoid getting shin splints?

Shin splints can be avoided by gradually building up your running distance. Do not suddenly go from 5km to 10 miles in one go, be sensible and stick to a strict training regime. You can also get shin splints from any pounding of the legs, for example skipping rope, burpees and kicking sports (like kicking a punch bag).

If you are planning a marathon or half marathon, get a good training programme from the web or a running club. Also, if you can, have a good runner or sports physio look at your running style to see if anything looks out of alignment. They will be able to give you specific exercises to prevent poor biomechanics developing into shin splints.

Only buy running shoes from a good quality running store who video your gait and try to advise you on shoes to suit your style. Then gradually build up your distance. Do not make any sudden changes. Have a good look at your flexibility. Get stuck into your calf stretches. Most shin splints victims have very tight calf muscles.

What is the best treatment and rehab for shin splints?

Do NOT run through the pain!

Some people think this is a good idea but it will only make things worse, and delay your recovery.

1) Get stuck into your calf stretches as tight calf muscles make you pre disposed to shin splints.

2) Get deep sports massage at the site of pain ie the muscles around the shin as build up of tight muscles, lactic acid needs to be resolved. This will improve blood supply in the muscles and improve elasticity.

3) If you are a runner and have had more than one episode of shin splints, it is likely your biomechanics are faulty. Get a gait analysis by a sports physio and learn to correct your gait. They will be able to point out areas where you are weak, tight and just not properly aligned which is causing your shins to rotate when you run, thereby increasing the torsional force through your legs and thereby causing shin splints.

It is imperative you do this programme, including squats, lunges, core stability work to improve you gait.

Shin splints are always fixable. In someone who keeps getting recurrences, I guarantee the biomechanics has not been sorted out.