Shin Splints
Common Injuries
| Symptoms:
An aching, throbbing or tenderness along the inside of the shin
(though it can radiate to the outside also) about halfway down, or all along the shin from the ankle to the knee. Pain when you press on the inflamed area. Pain is most severe at the start of a run, but can go away during a run once the muscles are loosened up (unlike a stress fracture of the tibia, which will be a more continuous pain.) With shin splints, pain resumes after the run. |
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Causes:
Tired or inflexible calf muscles put too much stress on tendons, which
become strained and torn. Overpronation
aggravates this problem, as does
running on hard surfaces, such
as concrete sidewalks. Changing running surfaces often can lead to increased
problems.
Beginning runners are the most susceptible to shinsplints for a variety of reasons, but the most common is that they're using leg muscles that haven't been stressed in the same way before. Another common cause of shinsplints among beginners is poor choice of running shoes, or running in something other than running shoes. Runners who have started running after a long layoff are also susceptible to shinsplints because they often increase their mileage too quickly.
Treatment:
Many runners experience mild shin soreness, which usually
can be tolerated. If the pain
continues, ice the inflamed area for 15 minutes three times a day. This
can be done with an ice bag or as an ice massage.
Use of an over-the-couter anti-inflammatory
can be helpful.
Ice immediately after running.
To speed up recovery, running should be stopped or decreased.
If the injury doesn't respond
to self-treatment and rest in
two to four weeks, see a podiatrist
or orthopedic physician.
Preventive Measures:
To stretch and strengthen the tendons and muscles in
the front of the leg, sit on
a table or chair and loop an ankle weight around your foot. Without bending
your knee, move your foot up and down from the ankle. An alternative method
is to have a partner grasp the foot to provide resistance.
You can also strengthen the lower
leg with band exercises. Anchor one end of
an exercise band to a heavy
object, such as the leg of a sofa. Stretch the band,
then loop it around the end
of the foot. Move the foot up and down and side to side against the band's
resistance to exercise different muscle groups.