Shin Splints

There are many types of injuries that happen to athletes due to repetitive motion and over use. Running is often incorporated as part of a conditioning program, or as a sport on its own, and a common injury from running is shin splints. Sharp pain on the outside edge of the shin is the most common symptom. This type of injury can be as mild as a minor annoyance, or prove to be serious enough to stop any kind of activity that involves running.

The best treatment is ice, rest and elevation. Keep it iced to reduce inflammation and keep it elevated to help reduce swelling and fluid build up. As with any other injury, the body is best left to heal itself, and rest is often the best medicine. You may also utilize ibuprofen to help manage the pain.

Perhaps the best treatment for shin splints is prevention. There are a number of exercises that you can do which will strengthen the calf and muscles surrounding your shin. Calf raises, lunges, and a wide range of weight exercises on a power sled will help to build a solid muscle mass around your shin and calf. This increase in strength and stability will enhance your body’s ability to take some abuse and greatly decreases the possibility that the shin splints will be a recurring injury.

If, after several weeks of rest, ice, and elevation you are still experiencing sharp pain when you try to run, it may be time to see a doctor. There is another overuse injury that has similar symptoms, but which may require additional treatment. Stress fractures are painful, and typically require a much longer recovery time. If you allow your shin splint to go unchecked, they can often be the pre-cursor to a stress fracture, so don’t let them linger without some kind of treatment.

You may also find some temporary pain relief by stretching well. It can be difficult to find a good stretch to use that you feel is working the front of your lower leg, but by stretching the quadriceps (the front of your thigh), then you are also relieving a lot of the tightness in your shin. The muscles are all connected by tendons and when the quad relaxes, so does everything that is tied to it. You can easily stretch you quads by grabbing one foot and pulling it up behind you. If you have a hard time balancing on one foot, stand next to a wall and use your free hand to balance yourself. You can make the stretch even more efficient for a shin splint by pulling back your toes as you have your leg bent behind you.

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