Apr 10, 2023

What are Shin Splints? What are the causes, symptoms & treatment of shin splints, a painful condition in the lower leg

Shin splints are a common cause of leg pain and can affect people who are involved in many different sports or activities. They happen when the muscles or tendons on the front of your lower leg (the anterior tibialis) become inflamed. This condition is also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). The pain typically occurs during activity, but you may feel it while resting as well. It usually starts as a dull ache that gets worse with exercise and eases up after your activity stops.

Anatomy of the shins and calves

The shins and calves are two of the most important bones in your body. While they may not be as visible as your wrists or ankles, they're integral to maintaining balance, stability and mobility. So what are these bones made up of? Let's explore the anatomy of the shins and calves, specifically the tibia (the shin bone) and fibula (the outer bone on each side), as well as some other smaller bones that make up both areas.

The Tibia

The tibia is the larger of the two lower leg bones. It's also known as your shinbone, and it bears most of your weight when you walk or run.
The fibula is the other long bone in your lower leg. It runs alongside your tibia on its inner side, acting as an attachment point for muscles and tendons that move your ankle joint.

The Fibula

The fibula is a long, thin bone on the outside of your lower leg, just below your knee. It's connected to the tibia and femur at the knee joint by muscles and ligaments. The fibula runs parallel to the tibia and forms part of this joint (which allows you to flex and extend your foot).

The bones in the ankle and foot

The ankle is made up of two bones, the tibia and fibula. These are the two long bones that make up your lower leg.
The talus is another bone in your ankle. It fits between your tibia and fibula at the front of your foot to form part of a hinge joint with these bones called an "ankle mortise."
The metatarsals are five long bones in each foot (four parallel rows along each side plus one short row on top) that form part of an arch underfoot when you stand or walk. They begin at the base of your big toe and extend up into each toe's phalanx bone

What are shin splints?

🏃Shin splints are a common cause of leg pain that can be caused by inflammation of the muscles or tendons in your lower legs. The injury can happen when you overuse your legs, especially if you're new to running or have started exercising more intensely.

However, shin splints aren't always caused by overuse; they may also result from an underlying medical condition such as flat feet (a condition where the arches in your feet are flattened), which makes it difficult for them to absorb shock while walking or running.

How do I know if I have shin splints?

✔️Shin splints are a pain in the lower legs that gets worse when running or walking. They're characterized by aching pain that extends from the inside of your shin to the sole of your foot, and this pain can be felt at night as well. If you've been standing on your toes for long periods of time, chances are you'll experience some discomfort in your shins as well.

✔️Shin splints are caused by overuse injuries due to excessive impact on your feet while doing activities like:

running (especially uphill),
walking up stairs or hills with heavy loads;
walking barefoot;
jumping rope rapidly;
marching in place;
hopping around in one place continuously--these all put stress on muscles and tendons in our lower legs because they support us whenever we move around during these tasks
or even just standing still

What can cause shin splints?

Shin splints are caused by a number of factors, including:

✔️Overuse of muscles and tendons. When your body is overused, it fatigues, which can lead to injury. This can happen when you run on hard surfaces or wear worn out shoes with poor arch support or inadequate warm up before exercise.

✔️Inadequate stretching before activity; if you don't stretch properly before exercising, your muscles will be tight and vulnerable to injury when they are put under stress during activity (like running).

✔️Shin splints are a common injury to the lower leg and occur when muscles, tendons or the shinbone itself become inflamed. The pain is usually felt on the front of the lower leg and can be described as a dull ache or sharp pain.

✔️Poorly fitting footwear. Improper shoe gear including shoes that are too narrow or don't fit well can cause stress on your shins.

✔️Running or doing activity on hard surfaces such as concrete, cinders or tarmac

✔️Training errors, such as overtraining or running too much too soon after an injury.

✔️Muscle imbalances in your lower leg and foot. Weakness in your lower leg muscles and tightness in your Achilles tendon can put extra stress on your shins during exercise.

✔️Sudden increase in distance or speed of activity.

🧑‍⚕️In most cases, shin splints will resolve themselves without treatment but if they persist you should seek advice from your GP or physiotherapist.

How can I prevent shin splints?

👉Warm up before exercise. Stretch your legs, do some gentle jogging and calf raises to get your muscles warmed up.

👉Train on softer surfaces. If you are training for a race or doing speed work, try to run on grass or sand so that there's less impact on your shins.

👉Wear supportive shoes that fit well - this will help reduce the risk of injury by absorbing shock as you hit the ground with each stride instead of forcing it into your bones and joints.

When you run, it's important to wear shoes that are designed for running and that fit properly.
High heels and other types of shoes with poor arch support or heel support can cause pain in your legs, which could lead to shin splints down the line.
If you're just starting out as a runner or if your current pair of sneakers just isn't working out for some reason, consult your physical therapist or podiatrist to ask advice

👉Avoid running over hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt; if possible try running on dirt trails instead.

👉Make sure that when standing still with bent knees and feet together there is about two inches between them - this helps take pressure off of the front part of each shinbone where it joins with muscles at either side called tibialis anterior muscles. These muscles are responsible for moving each forward when walking/running, so if these muscles become too tight then they may pull away from bone causing inflammation underneath the skin just above where bone meets muscle tissue

Are there any home remedies for shin splints?

There are many shin splint home remedies that you can use to treat your pain. The most important thing is to rest the injured area and apply ice to reduce inflammation. You could also consider compression if your shin splints cause swelling in the affected area, this will help reduce pain and discomfort when walking around on them. MendMeShop has a great range of compression products, including FDA registered compression socks in various sizes.

Finally, stretching exercises are an excellent way of preventing future injuries by strengthening muscles used during exercise so they're less likely to become strained or torn in the future.

When should I see a doctor for shin splints?

🧑‍⚕️If you have pain and swelling, it's important to see a doctor. This is especially true if the pain does not go away after a few days of rest.

🏃Shin splints are common injuries that affect the lower leg. They can be caused by overuse, poor running shoes, or poor training technique. Shin splints are a type of exercise-induced muscle injury (EIMI).

🏃The most common symptom of shin splints is pain in your shins after you've been exercising or running for an extended period of time. The pain may also be present before you start exercising if you've been doing it consistently for a while without giving your muscles time to recover between workouts (such as after running every day).

Ways to avoid shin splints

If you're a runner, then you've probably heard of shin splints. They're a common running injury that can range from mildly annoying to downright debilitating, but they don't have to put an end to your training. Here are some ways to prevent or treat shin splints so that you can continue running without pain:

✔️Strengthen your shins.

Use a foam roller to massage the shin muscles. This can be done in a few different ways:

Roll from the ankle up toward your knee, then back down again.

Roll from just below your knee up toward your hip and back down again (this is particularly effective if you're having pain on one side of your shins).

Place both feet on top of the roller and roll back and forth over it (This is a challenging exercise in terms of balance and works best if you adequate proximity between yourself and any nearby furniture or walls in order to offer support). You could do one foot at a time for security and safety.

✔️Stretch your calves.

👉Calf stretches are an important part of recovery from shin splints. They help relieve pain, increase flexibility, and improve circulation in the lower leg.

👉Calf stretches can be done before or after exercise. People with shin splints should always warm up first by walking or jogging slowly for five minutes. Then perform a series of calf stretches that target different parts of the lower leg (see below).

👉If you have acute shin splints (pain while exercising), you should avoid stretching until your pain subsides. Wait until your pain has resolved before performing any calf stretches. Acute shin splints can resolve on their own within two to four weeks without treatment, but it's important to rest during this time so that healing can occur as quickly as possible.

Examples of calf stretches

Calf stretches are a great way to help improve your flexibility and overall balance. You can do these stretches at home or even at work!

Calf Stretch With Resistance Band - don’t forget MendMeShop have a great three pack of exercise bands!

Here's how to do this stretch:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place a resistance band around one foot, then step on the other end of the band with that same foot.
Bend down at both knees and lean forward until you feel a stretch in your calf muscle. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

Standing Calf Stretch

This stretch is a great way to loosen up your calves and make them more flexible.

Stand facing a wall, with your hands on the wall at shoulder height.
Shift your weight onto your heels, then slowly walk forward until you feel tension in the backs of your legs. Hold this position for 30 seconds or longer if possible!

Toe Touch Calf Stretch

Stand with your back against a wall, and your feet about 6 inches away from the wall. Bend your right leg and bring your right heel to the wall. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then switch legs.

Wall Calf Stretch

To do this stretch, stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place a chair next to you and place both hands on the wall at eye level. Lean forward so that your chest is against the wall until you feel tension in your calf muscles. Hold for 30 seconds before relaxing

🦵Calf stretches are important for keeping your calves flexible, and they can be done at home or at the gym.

🦵Calf stretches can be done before or after a workout, but it's best to do them when your muscles are warm. This will help you get better results from the stretch and prevent injury.

Seated Calf Stretch

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and place a towel under the sole of each foot.
Pull back on the towel gently until it's taut, keeping toes pointed forward.
Hold this position for 10 seconds and then relax for 10 seconds before repeating twice more.
Do this three times per day as part of an overall stretching routine that includes other muscle groups such as hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors (the muscles at the front of our thighs).

Hopefully, these calf stretches have helped you understand the importance of stretching your calves. It's not just about preventing injury; it's also about improving performance and reducing soreness after exercise. The best thing you can do for yourself is to set aside some time each week for stretching exercises like these. This is especially important if your job requires standing or walking on concrete surfaces all day long!

✔️Shin splints occur when you overuse your muscles and connective tissue by increasing the intensity of your workouts or adding miles to your routine too quickly. They're often caused by running on hard surfaces (such as concrete) or wearing improper footwear, especially during long runs when the body needs more support than usual.

✔️You'll likely feel pain in the front of your lower leg just below where it meets with your foot when exercising intensely; this is where most shin splint injuries occur because it's where many runners land when running on hard surfaces without proper form. If this happens regularly during exercise sessions then it's probably time for some rest before trying again later on!

🧑‍⚕️If you've been experiencing pain in your shin, it's important to see a doctor. They can help determine whether you have shin splints and provide treatment options. If you are suffering from severe pain or swelling in this area, please contact your primary health care professional immediately so they can start with a diagnosis and treatment plan for you.

References

We pride ourselves on being thoroughly researched before we post blog posts, articles or webpages. Here is a list of references used to create this content:

👉Ref 1: Shin Splints, OrthoInfo

👉Ref 2: Shin Splints, Symptoms & Causes, Mayo Clinic

👉Ref 3: Shin Spints, John Hopkins Medicine

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