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Shin Splint Cures

Shin splint pain---pain and tenderness that runs up the tibia (otherwise known as the shinbone)---can keep you from enjoying certain physical activities. There are ways to ease the pain, though, and precautions you can take to decrease or even eliminate shin splint discomfort. By decreasing inflammation and addressing any underlying conditions, you can get back to doing the things you love.

  1. Identification

    • Before you try to soothe your shin splints, it's good to know exactly what they are. A shin splint isn't a broken bone, although it may sound like it is. Instead, it is inflammation of tissue in and surrounding the tibia. The muscles, tendons, periosteum (tissue covering the tibia) and the tibia itself experience this inflammation. To ease shin splint pain, you'll have to both ease the ongoing inflammation and remove the conditions that were causing the inflammation in the first place.

    Inflammation

    • There are several ways to lessen shin splint inflammation. Rest is one way to do it---simply keep from strenuous activity until the inflammation naturally goes away. Of course, you may not be able to take that much time out of your daily schedule. Cutting back on the activities that caused the shin splints and slowly building up to your old activity levels again can keep you active without increasing inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen lessen inflammation at the source, as do ice packs.

    Causes

    • Certain activities are likely to provoke shin splint pain. These include jogging, running, dancing and impact training. People in the military are also at risk for shin splints, especially if they're going through training. Cutting back on these exercises for a time (as explained above) or changing to a more low-impact exercise can help. Flat feet can also cause shin splints. Better arch support can help prevent shin splints from developing again. Some sports shoes have specialized arch support, and you can also place orthotic inserts in your shoes to keep your feet comfortable.

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