Shin splints



11.10.22



By Free Motion Physiotherapy





Do your shins throb and ache after exercise, a daily run or just a short dash after your kids? It could be shin splints...



What Are Shin Splints?



The term “shin splints” describes pain felt along the front of your lower leg, along the shin bone. This pain concentrates in the lower leg between the knee and ankle. It is medically known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS).


Shin splints are caused by overuse and increased stress on your lower legs. People who participate in high-impact sports or anything that involves intense running or stop-start sports are more prone to injury due to the added pressure and load on their legs. The increased load causes stress on your shinbone and the connective tissues that attach the muscles to your bones, this leads to inflammation and pain.


Sometimes the pain of shin splints can be so intense that you must stop the activity.



Symptoms of Shin Splints



To begin with shin splints presents as a dull tenderness or achy pain along the inner side of the shinbone – it often affects both shins at the same time. There may be some mild swelling in your lower leg. The pain often begins as soon as you start exercising and will stop when you stop exercising.


Eventually, however, the pain can be continuous and develop into a very sharp, intense pain that stops you in your tracks. It is very important to stop exercising when you first develop the pain, as exercising through the pain can worsen the injury. It might progress to a stress reaction or stress fracture if ignored and left untreated.




Causes of Shin Splints



Shin splints results from excessive and repetitive amounts of force or stress on the shin bone and the connective tissues attaching the shin bone to the muscles surrounding it. The excessive force causes the muscles to swell and increases the pressure against the bone, leading to pain and inflammation.



Common Causes:



• Recently increased exercise levels, can include -more difficult training or exercise, longer sessions, and running longer distances.

• Running or training on a hard surface like concrete

• Shoes that don’t fit well or provide the correct support or are worn out

• Exercising without a warmup or cooldown stretches

• Being overweight

• Lack of strength, mobility and/or flexibility in the lower limbs

• Weak ankles, hips, buttocks, or core muscles

• Poor proprioception



Risk Factors for Shin Splints



Various activities and physical attributes can put you at a higher risk of getting shin splints. Risk factors include:



• Being a runner, especially one beginning a running program

• Improper training techniques

• Running downhill

• Training on slanted surfaces, uneven terrain, or hard surfaces

• Military training

• An anatomical abnormality such as Flat feet - when the impact of a step makes your foot's arch collapse (overpronation) or rigid high arches

• Participating in sports that have fast stops and starts (like soccer or tennis)

• Women



Treatment for Shin Splints



You can treat shin splints at home with the following steps:



Rest – Shin splints normally require that you take a break from certain physical activities and give your legs time to rest. You need to rest to relieve your shins from the stress that is causing the injury. The discomfort will usually resolve completely in a few hours or at most in a few days with rest and limited activity, but you will want to rest from the activity causing the pain for about 2weeks with a gradual return to your exercise.


Ice – Applying ice to your shins every few hours for around 10 minutes a time helps with the pain and swelling.

Pain Relief – Take over-the-counter pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication (Paracetamol & Ibuprofen) to help with the reduction of swelling and pain.

Switch – Switch to an alternative activity that requires less strain on the lower legs – activities such as swimming, cycling, and walking are options to keep you active during your recovery and take the load off your legs.


If your shin splints are a regular occurrence or the pain persists during sports and exercise, it is recommended to see a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist will do a full assessment to help identify reasons why this might be occurring and advise on solutions for your situation. A physiotherapist will do the hands-on treatment as well as put together a personalized rehabilitation program and plan to prevent the injury from repeatedly happening in the future – ‘prevention is better than a cure.




Prevention is always the best option



To help prevent shin splints:



• Cross-train with a sport that places less impact on your shins, such as swimming, walking, or biking.

• Start new activities slowly, increasing time and intensity gradually.

• Strengthen surrounding muscle groups and vary workouts to avoid overuse and trauma to any particular muscle group.

• Warm up before exercising and stretch after exercising as a cooldown.

• Exercises to strengthen and stabilize your legs, ankles, hips, and core can help prepare your legs to deal with high impact of training.

• Avoid exercising through the pain.



Contact us!



For any enquiries, please feel free to contact us.

Phone: +27(87) 702 7850

Email: info@freemotionphysio.co.za

Website: www.freemotionphysio.co.za



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