Introduction

Shin splints, also referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome or tibial pain syndrome, is a term for pain in the front or inner part of the lower leg. Shin splints are one of the most common sports injuries and can develop in everyone from recreational runners to high school soccer, basketball and tennis players.

Shin splints can involve inflamed muscles, tendons, and the thin layer of tissue that covers the bone. Although painful enough to knock you to the sidelines for a while, most cases of shin splints can be effectively treated conservatively with ice, rest, over-the-counter pain relievers and wearing shoes that provide protection for your feet, lower legs and ankles.

How it Happens

Shin splints happen when constant pounding and stress are placed on the bones, muscles, and joints of the lower leg. The result is irritation and inflammation, both of which cause pain. Factors that contribute to shin splints include:

Running downhill

When you run downhill, your foot impacts the ground in a way that your toes are pointing down.  This puts additional stress on the muscles on the front of your shin, rather than distributing weight evenly through your foot.

Sudden increase in training

Anytime you increase trainging frequency, duration, or intensity more than than 10 percent a week, there is a risk of injury, including shin splints.

Old shoes

As your running shoes wear down, the arch support tends to flatten out, impairing their ability to properly absorb shock. Both shoe problems, combined with flat feet, poor running mechanics, and overuse aggravate the tissues of the lower leg.

Exercising on hard surfaces

This places extra stress on the leg, which can cause inflammation.

Failure to treat a previous bout of shin splints

Returning to normal training too soon is a common problem among athletes and can easily cause a setback.

Flat feet, rigid arches, and over-pronation

These mechanical malfunctions can cause pressure to be distributed unevenly on the lower legs.  Many people naturally have flat feet and rigid arches and over-pronation, a condition where the ankles roll inward upon impact, and while they are painful, they can be corrected by easily by orthotics and a weight distribution analysis.

Conditions:

Overused muscle

One cause is an overused muscle, either as an acute injury or as delayed onset muscle soreness. The muscle pain is caused by any activity that involves running, jumping, also sometimes even walking. Untreated shin splints can lead to a stress reaction mid-shaft in the tibia, which can eventually lead to a stress fracture. A stress fracture can be diagnosed by a bone scan or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan and takes much longer to heal than shin splints.

Treatment

Initial Treatment

• Rest - Avoid activities that cause pain and only cross-train with low impact activities such as pool training, bicycling or elliptical machine training.
• Ice - 15-20 minutes at a time, four or more times a day.
• Compression - With an elastic wrap or compression sleeve.
• Elevation - Prop your feet and legs up when resting and at night.
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs - Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen.
• Arch supports and Orthotics - To cushion the impact and disperse the stress.

Long Term Treatment

• A doctor may need to take an X-ray or MRI to rule out a stress fracture or other causes.
• Rehabilitation may take a week in mild cases and several weeks in severe cases. When you think the problem is completely gone, take one extra day before resuming normal training.
• Use a foam roll to break up muscle adhesions and increase blood flow to your outside lower leg and between the center and outside of your lower leg.
• Go to a chiropractor to receive instruction on exercises that can help you recover from the shin splints.

Make an Appointment

By Phone

Call us at (858) 452-3734 and our helpful front office staff will be happy to assist you in making an appointment with Doctor Todd Plutchok, D.C.

E-mail Us With Your Appointment Request

You can email us with your appointment request here by emailing  DrTodd@TheSportsAndWellnessDC.com.  Just send us your Name, Email Address, and Phone Number, with your desired time.  Initial Visits normally last 45-55 minutes.  For normal clinic hours, click here.

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