What are shin splints symptoms?
The most common symptom of shin splints is lower leg pain. The pain can range from mild to severe, and your shin bone may be tender to the touch. Mild swelling may occur, as well.
What do shin splints feel like?
Pain from shin splints can:
- Commonly be felt on the inner lower part of your leg or front of your shin bone.
- Start off as come-and-go discomfort with activity and progress to a steady and persistent pain even after the activity has ended.
- Be sharp or a dull ache.
- Get worse after activity.
What causes shin splints?
Shin splints develop from repeated stress to your shin bone by the pulling and tugging of the muscles and connective tissues in your lower leg. Frequent, repetitive pressure from running and jumping can cause your shin bone to become inflamed (swollen or irritated) and weakened. When the bone doesn’t have time to heal, the damage can get worse and cause severe pain. Such repeated stress can happen for many reasons, including starting a new exercise routine or increasing your level of physical activity too quickly.
Who is affected by shin splints?
Although anyone can get shin splints, certain people have a higher chance of developing the condition. Groups with a higher risk of shin splints include:
- Runners, especially those who run on uneven surfaces or suddenly increase their running program.
- Athletes who play high-impact sports that put stress on their legs.
- Dancers.
- People who have flat feet, high arches or very rigid arches. In these situations, your muscles and bones may not absorb or distribute force from impact and loading activities, as well.
- Members of the military and people who march or walk a lot.
- People who wear unsupportive shoes when exercising.
- People who walk extreme distances.
- Anyone with underlying vitamin D deficiency, an eating disorder or loss of normal menses (periods).
- People with osteopenia or osteoporosis who may already have weaker bones.
What are the complications of shin splits?
Complications from shin splints are rare. If you continue to run or play sports without letting your legs heal, shin splints can progress into a stress fracture. A stress fracture occurs when little cracks form in your bone. To treat a stress fracture, healthcare providers often recommend using crutches or wearing a walking boot until the bones heal.
FAQs
Treatment
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort — but don't give up all physical activity. ...
- Ice. Apply ice packs to the affected shin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, four to eight times a day for several days. ...
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
- Aching or dull pain down the front of one or both legs.
- Shins that are painful to the touch.
- Pain that worsens during or after exercise.
- Pain that improves with rest.
Shin splints are caused by overusing your lower leg muscles and bone tissue. This can be due to: a sudden increase in the amount or intensity of exercise. the ankle joint rolling inwards too far as the running foot hits the ground (over-pronation)
Is it OK to walk with shin splints? ›
Avoid repetitive exercise of your lower leg for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep your activity to just the walking that you do during your regular day. Try other low impact activities as long as you do not have pain, such as swimming, elliptical machine, or biking.
Do shin splints ever go away? ›
Shin splints usually get better within a few weeks. There are things you can do to get better quicker.
Can you push through shin splints? ›
Rest between activities to allow your muscles and bones time to heal. Use pain as your guide. If you're noticing shin pain, reduce your activity level until this improves. Don't try to push through pain.
How to tell the difference between shin splints and shin pain? ›
With a stress fracture, the pain gets worse as you run and persists in a smaller location after you run, Dr. Goldberg says. With shin splints, pain often occurs over a broad area, although it may be localized, affecting a small area. The pain usually lessens after you warm up, Dr.
What stretches help shin splints? ›
Shin muscle stretch
- Sit in a chair, with both feet flat on the floor.
- Bend your affected leg behind you so that the top of your foot near your toes is flat on the floor and your toes are pointed away from your body. ...
- Hold the stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds. ...
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
How can compression socks help shin splints? Compression garments can be an effective treatment for pain and inflammation related to shin splints. In fact, a study showed that compression socks help runners minimize muscle soreness and inflammation, as well as improve performance.
What not to do with shin splints? ›
Avoid repetitive exercise of your lower leg for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep your activity to just the walking that you do during your regular day. Try other low impact activities as long as you do not have pain, such as swimming, elliptical machine, or biking.
Pain gets worse when standing on the toes or rolling the ankle inward. As the shin splint progresses, the pain will increase.
What vitamin deficiency causes shin splints? ›
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain and muscle weakness.
What else feels like shin splints? ›
People may typically associate shin pain with shin splints. However, other issues can also cause shin pain, including a minor injury, a fracture, a bone bruise, or a problem with bone growth, such as a tumor.
Do shin splints hurt to touch? ›
These are the most common symptoms of shin splints: Pain felt on the front and outside of the shin. It's first felt when the heel touches the ground during running. In time, pain becomes constant and the shin is painful to the touch.
How do you tell if it's shin splints or stress fracture? ›
Symptoms. Shin splints cause pain greater than 10cm on the front or inside of the shin bone, whereas stress fracture symptoms are usually at a specific point or less than 10cm on the shin bone. Shin Splints are often painful at the beginning of exercise and can improve when you warm up before worsening.
Does drinking water help shin splints? ›
While shin splints are a common injury that can occur in anyone with an active lifestyle, there are some basic practices that can help to reduce your risk of contraction. These methods include: Drinking plenty of water. Stretching the lower limb more often.
