Treatment for Shin Splints

Shin splints are common injuries, especially to new athletes who have just taken up jogging. Shin splints refer to leg pain, along the inner side of the shin bone. If you have flat arches, your feet may roll inward, which can contribute to shin splints. Participating in athletic activities that require a lot of stopping and starting, such as tennis or basketball, can also give you a case of shin splints.

The Mayo Clinic says shin splints are caused when there is an overload on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach the muscles to the bone. This inflames the muscles and connective tissues, causing pain.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of shin splints are pain along the inside lower half of the shin or even the whole shin from the ankle to the knee. There may also be pain when touching the side of the shin, pain at the start of exercise which often lessens as the exercise continues, pain that returns after activity and often is worse the next morning and pain when the toes or foot are bent downward.

  Some people with shin splints may have lumps or bumps that can be felt along the inner side of the shin bone, and others may experience redness or swelling at the pain site.

Treatment

• Sufferers should not exercise through the pain, as this only sets them up for continuing pain or more severe injury. Resting until shin splints get better is the best course of action. This may require patience, as the shin splints could take days or weeks to improve.

  Massaging shins with ice frozen in a paper cup can help speed recovery. A frozen bag of peas or corn can also be used. Ice should be applied at least four times a day.

  Wrapping a sore shin in an Ace bandage or encasing it in a neoprene sleeve compresses the muscles, providing pain relief and isolating the muscle to prevent further injury.

  The Mayo Clinic advises taking over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen. Ibuprofen also helps reduce swelling and inflammation.

Continued Treatment

• As the pain improves and a patient starts mild exercise again, he must be careful not to re-injure the shin. Getting a pair of high quality athletic or running shoes is crucial. These shoes may cost more, but they will offer the most support and stability for feet. Shoes should fit well, have good cushioning and extra-firm material on the inside heel-edge. Supplementing shoe support with an athletic insole from the drug store is also a good idea.

  One way to rest shins without cutting out exercise entirely is to vary the kinds of exercise a patient does. People with shin splits might try swimming or bicycling---activities that do not put a lot of pressure on the shins. If the shin begins to hurt again, the patient should rest and ice it until it feels better again.

Seeing a Doctor

• If shin splints continue to hurt or are excessively painful, it is time to see a doctor. She will do an evaluation and perhaps take an x-ray to rule out a stress fracture. The doctor may also write a prescription for a higher potency anti-inflammatory drug. He might advise seeing a professional for a custom fitting for orthotics for athletic shoes.

  Physicians may send a patient to a sports injury clinic, where she can get a professional taping of the shin and a sports massage to relax the inflamed, tight muscles around the shin.

Prevention/Solution

• People who have had shin splints should exercise on forgiving surfaces, such as grass, asphalt, gravel or running tracks. Running on hills, slanted or uneven surfaces may aggravate shin splints.

  Light stretches and gentle conditioning loosen up the shin muscles and prepare them for more vigorous exercise.

Tip

• When shins are no longer painful, sufferers can do a simple exercise to strengthen shin muscles. The Mayo Clinic recommends toe raises.
  The instructions for the exercise are as follows:
  Stand up and slowly rise up on toes. Then slowly lower heels to the floor. Repeat 10 times. When this becomes easy, try the exercise while holding some light weights in hands. Use progressively heavier weights as the exercise becomes easier. As strength increases, try leg presses and other leg exercises that strengthen the lower leg.