Take Action for Your Shin Splints
What is Shin Splints?
But what are shin splints exactly?
Shin splints are an umbrella term typically used to refer to a wide variety of lower-leg injuries and lower-leg pain caused by exercise.
For runners with shin splint injuries, it typically refers to the medical condition known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS).
It's usually found along the inner edge of the tibia (shinbone), the most prominent bone across the front of the lower leg.
It typically occurs due to repeated impacts on the bone tissue muscles and tendons surrounding the tibia. It causes inflammation of the connective tissue (fascia), which covers and connects the lower leg muscles with the shinbone.
We'll show how to relieve stress on tightness in shins, so they don't take over entirely while still letting athletes play through their discomfort-but don't make matters worse by preventing proper treatment at home before heading back out there again.
Symptoms of Shin Splints
Symptoms of shin splints start with slight discomfort and eventually turn into soreness, tenderness along one specific part of your lower leg. If you continue running or staying active through this phase, swelling will likely develop as well; more intense pain could also occur during exercise.
But in worst cases, if an individual experiences constant dull throbbing/sharp pains, they should see their doctor immediately because there could be serious issues at hand, such as tendonitis (inflammation), which needs professional attention quickly!
Shin splints are a type of common running injury that can occur to athletes who run on soft surfaces such as turf or beach sand. The most common cause for this condition is too much mileage with repetitive motion, especially in cases where there's no ground reinforcement beneath your feet, like in dancing and military training sessions where they might be required to keep moving while standing still.
The most commonly reported symptom of shin splints is a numb ache in the front or sides of the shin. Sometimes, the pain may be sharper than dull.
The pain could be felt radiating from the heels toward the knee. Many people who suffer from shin splints experience pain that worsens at the beginning of the day because the muscles tend to tighten overnight.
It could also be sore and painful, and you could experience bumps and lumps as you rub the affected area.
- The pain could be located at the outside of your shin (anterior)
- It could be within the shin (posterior)
- However, it shouldn't be straight up to the side of your shin.
Is it Really Shin Splints?
If you're aware of what shin splints mean and what the typical symptoms are, It's important to remember that shin pain isn't always the result of shin Splints.
Many other conditions and injuries affect lower leg muscles and the MTSS. It is, therefore, important to identify if the issue is shin or splints.
Doctor. Sarah Ceschin, PT and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), is the proprietor of Boulder Sports Physiotherapy and has seen shin splints frequently.
"The most difficult thing to remember when considering the shin splints - are they shin or splints? Are the muscles inflamed, or are we experiencing more serious bone inflammation (i.e., strain fracture or stress reaction )?" she clarifies.
It's, therefore, crucial to determine first whether it's shin Splints before treatment options are evaluated.
What Causes Shin Splints?
There are various reasons for this; however, the main reason for running shin splints for runners is excessive use, which is why it's an injury caused by overuse.
One of the most common ailments in runners, shin splints, are caused by continued stress on your shins and surrounding tissues that connect the calf muscle to bone. This overworking often happens when you suddenly change up running techniques or increase physical activity too quickly without easing into it at first - but more often, these aches come from doing something drastic like training for a marathon after never running before!
It results from running or engaging in high-impact activities over a long period, generally without proper stretching. They're also frequent among military recruits and dancers, apart from runners.
Are you an avid runner who gets the dreaded "shin splints" whenever your legs get tired? You're not alone. Shin pain is caused by continued stress on the shinbone and surrounding tissues that connect the calf muscle to bone, leading most often from increased physical activity at a gradual pace or suddenly changing exercises without easing into them gradually.
Other causes of shin splints include:
- The poor running technique involves overstriding, striking your heel too much or slamming your heel too hard, etc.
- Infirm lower body muscles, particularly the calves and hips.
- Shoes that aren't right
- It is not recommended to run on unstable or hard surfaces, like concrete or snow.
- Biomechanics of the foot, like having flat-footed feet when running
- Intensifying the duration or intensity of your run, such as increasing your weekly mileage without letting your body adjust
How to Get Rid of Shin Splints?
If you have already suffered from shin splints, some go-to remedies help you recover quickly and without risk. As noted, you need to train smart.
Below are just a few tools I would recommend for helping:
- Compression Socks
- Rock Tape
- Lemongrass Oil - helps release tight muscles
- Foam rolling to help your calves get free and to warm your shins
If you're looking for ways to get rid of shin splints that can last for the long run, You'll discover several initial steps to relieve discomfort and some long-term ways to prevent shin splints from returning.
Based on the cause of shin splints, you won't be shocked by our suggestions to resolve the issue! But first, we'll review some essential strategies and address major questions.
- Make sure you warm up before running. You can try foam rolling your leg's front to increase blood flow.
- Use the tips above to make sure you don't begin running all over again.
- The 10 percent rule is the rule to follow This means that you shouldn't increase your mileage by over 10% per week.
- Do shin stretches regularly
- Stretch and strengthen your ankles, calves, and arches.
- Examine how you're landing your feet to help with pronation.
- Think about spending some time on soft surfaces, such as dirt or on the treadmill.
Heat & Cold therapy for shin splints?
The most prominent symptom associated with shin splints is inflammation; therefore, your aim is to lessen the inflammation by using cold. Since shin splints represent an injury and are not considered a disease and the aim is to decrease inflammation by restricting blood flow.
Cold therapy on the calf muscles is effective and can help temporarily ease the pain. Applying 20-minute intervals of Cold therapy pack between sessions is recommended to lessen the pain when they first begin.
Following the initial onset, you can find additional relief from the heating pad that will ease the muscles and relieve tension.
Sacksy Thyme Hot & Cold Therapy pad for Shin Splints:
The Sacksy Thyme Hot & Cold Therapy pad offers a versatile solution for relieving the pain and discomfort caused by shin splints. This innovative pad is specifically designed to provide both hot and cold therapy, making it an effective tool for managing pain and inflammation.
Remember, Cold therapy is meant for acute injuries (sprains strains, strains, and sudden bouts of inflammation - case in point), while heat is meant for chronic injuries and problems like arthritis.
Should I take anti-inflammatory medicines?
Another option to minimize the inflammation and discomfort is to consult your doctor to start an anti-inflammatory treatment regimen, Ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
However, a warning before taking the pills: If you take this route and feel relief from pain, do not be lulled into a false sense of security.
First, some serious problems can arise from taking painkillers such as Tylenol, and then it's easy to overdo it by masking the discomfort.
The injury needs time to heal, even if you feel more comfortable.
Is rest the best shin splints treatment?
Rest, rest, rest, yes This is, in fact, one of those rare running injuries for which my first suggestion is to stop doing the majority of things.
We're eager to push and push ourselves to the limit, but not taking a break creates numerous problems.
We all know that exercise is good for you, but did you also realize how it can help your pain? When your muscles are not fully warmed up and ready to go, they have a much greater chance of being injured. The best way around this problem would be by stopping activity as soon as shin splints start- so don't let them get the worst of you! Rest will allow time for healing while relieving pressure on legs which should speed things along nicely in no time flat.
Rest is crucial to recovery like resting is essential to avoid shin splints. (sorry, I'm aware that this is the one thing we all would rather ignore!)
For many injuries, such as IT Band Syndrome, rest isn't the answer because we want to build strength...but in this case, it is helpful to a great extent.
If you don't give yourself time off and rest, the shin splints may never disappear, and a constant issue hinders your running for a long time. There are various reasons you may want to push through the discomfort; in this instance, you need to rest.
Dr. Sarah Ceschin says, "A patient should never completely rest because there is always something to do - unless, of course, you're facing a serious injury (i.e., fracture, infection, etc.). Cross-training can be done using a low-impact exercise (bike or swim. ) or strength train, and perform the exercises taught to you during PT or attend an exercise class. The goal of an athlete is to improve the running mechanics that are not optimal and weakness deficiencies that lead to injury in the beginning. This will ensure that the injury does not recur or worsen when they resume running."
Do orthotics help with shin splints?
Many kinds of running orthotics and shoe insert to aid in nursing your shins as they heal.
I do not make this a first suggestion because it is possible to resolve many issues by strengthening other areas of our bodies. However, they can be a fantastic solution when other options need to be fixed.
Orthotics can be particularly beneficial to those with flat feet who are more susceptible to shin Splints.
There's a wide variety of orthotics available. Some are inserted straight into the shoes, while others are attached to your knee and leg. Choose the smallest and least invasive one initially, then progress to the next type according to your needs.
Use these ideas for treating shin splints, and be aware that there is hope!
There is no reason to live in pain for a lifetime. However, don't let it become an issue. Instead, take care of your shin splits to be back on the road in good shape and free of pain!
Take Action
Shin Splints are no small matter, but you can help feel back to your usual self again with these tips. If pain is constant or gets worse after applying Cold therapy on shins for several days straight, then heat therapy might also be necessary to increase circulation and ease muscle tension while massaging the affected area afterward provides additional relief.
Sacks thyme Heating Pad used on your shin can cover the entire surface of your lower leg bone to provide even and consistent heat therapy ultimately. This heating pad is Designed to soothe muscle aches; this microwavable heating pad maintains heat that helps to relieve the pressure and discomfort of shin splints—Pain Relief.