Sore or painful shins may be a sign of shin splints, a common condition among athletes. Managing shin splints involves rest, ice, stretches, and working with a physiotherapist.
Shin Splints: What is it and How to Recover
The sore shins and swelling that accompany shin splints can prevent you from enjoying your favorite sports or activities. Fortunately, there are proven ways to reduce painful shins and promote the healing process.
In this guide, I’ll cover how to manage shin splints and tips to reduce your risk of experiencing recurring shin splints.
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints is the term for pain at the front lower part of the leg, shins, or tibia. The pain is a result of irritation and inflamed tissue, tendons and muscles around the shin bone.
Also referred to as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS), shin splints are a painful condition that is common among athletes. Runners are at an especially high risk of shin splints. Shin splints are often a result of overuse and repeated stress on the connective tissues and muscles around the sine bone.
Learn More: Shin Splints – Physio Pro
What Are the Symptoms of Shin Splints?
Symptoms of shin splints include:
- Sore shins
- Painful shins
- Shin bones that are tender to the touch
- Mild shin swelling
- Lumpy adhesions near the shin or tibia
- Mild to severe lower leg pain
Common Causes of Shin Splints
Shin splints occur due to irritation and inflammation in the muscles and bones of the lower leg. This is usually a result of overuse, injury, poor biomechanics, or arch shape.
Possible causes of shin splints include:
- Repeated stress or pressure to the shin bone from starting a new exercise routine too suddenly or repeatedly participating in high impact sports
- Excessive calf tightness
- Runners with poor biomechanics or a heavy-front-foot running style
- Having flat feet or very high arches that make it difficult for the bones and muscles to absorb impact and distribute force appropriately
- Pronation (a collapsed arch) during running
- Running on surfaces with poor shock absorption ,such as concrete
- Running on unstable surfaces, such as sand
- Weak core, gluteal, or pelvic stabilising muscles
- Adding too much distance or speed to your running routine too suddenly
Who Is At a Higher Risk of Shin Splints?
Anyone can get painful shins but these groups are at an increased risk of shin splints:
- Runners
- Dancers
- Athletes, especially those who play high-impact sports
- Individuals with flat feet, rigid arches, or high arches
- Military members or individuals who walk or march a lot
- Individuals who wear unsupportive shoes during physical activities
- Individuals with a vitamin D deficiency
- Individuals with weakened bones from osteoporosis or osteopenia
How to Manage Shin Splints
Time is important for healing shin splints but there are some steps you can take in the meantime to get some relief.
Here are steps on how to to manage shin splints:
- Rest — Rest is the biggest way to manage shin splints. Take a break from activities, such as running or sports, that aggravate symptoms. Allow the bones and muscles time to rest and heal. This may take several weeks or longer, depending on the severity of your shin splints.
- Ice — Ice is another one of the best ways to manage shin splints. Apply a cold compress for 10 to 20 minutes at a time, up to four times a day, or as advised by your healthcare provider. Do this for several days to help reduce swelling and painful shins.
- OTC Pain Relievers — Ask your healthcare provider about taking over-the-counter pain relievers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help reduce painful shins and swelling.
- Do Shin Splint Stretches — Do gentle stretches that flex the muscles of the lower leg.
- Wear Appropriate Shoes — Supportive, well-fitting shoes can help with sore shins. Find a pair with shock-absorbing insoles or arch supports.
- Shorten Your Stride — Try shortening your stride to see if you notice a reduction in sore or painful shins.
How to Reduce Shin Splints
It isn’t possible to prevent shin splints completely but there are ways to reduce your risk.
To reduce your risk of shin splints, I recommend these steps:
- Choose High-Quality Footwear — Wear supportive shoes, especially when exercising.
- Take Care of Your Running Shoes — Replace running shoes every 300 miles or sooner if they deteriorate and lack support.
- Work with a Physiotherapist — Although shin splints usually aren’t serious, I still recommend resting until they heal. If the pain continues, I recommend contacting your healthcare provider or physiotherapist.
Shin splints physio can be an important part of the recovery process. A physiotherapist can also educate you on the best shin splint stretches and exercises to reduce sore shins now and help prevent shin splints in the future.
- Increase Activity Slowly — Gradually increase your activity level once you resume exercising again. Try to limit any increase in activity to 10% a week. For instance, if I work with a patient who runs 6 miles (9.6 km) a week, I would recommend they only increase their mileage by 0.6 miles a week.
- Cross Train — Incorporate a range of low-impact activities into your training routine. This can help reduce repetitive stress on the legs and help prevent shin splints. I recommend swimming and biking as good low-impact activities for shin splints. Don’t forget to include some rest days in your training routine as well.
- Stretch Before Exercising — Warm up your muscles with gentle stretching before exercising.
- Avoid Hard or Uneven Surfaces — Avoid running on hard, uneven surfaces, such as concrete, hills, or sand.
- Listen to Your Body — If an activity causes painful shins, do not try to ignore the pain. Listen to your body and stop the activity immediately if you notice sore shins.
Physio Treatment for Shin Splints
With rest, ice, and careful stretching, most people heal from shin splints within a few weeks. However, shin splints can develop into a stress fracture without rest or proper treatment.
While rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medication is the best initial approach, painful shins that won’t go away require additional help.
If you’ve been dealing with sore shins that just won’t seem to go away, shin splints physio may be an effective solution. Shin splints physio features a range of treatment modalities, such as myofascial release, deep tissue massage, and ultrasound therapy.
These approaches aim to help strengthen the tissue and muscles surrounding the shin bone and gently stretch the area and lower your risk of future injury.
A physiotherapist will also evaluate your calf flexibility, orthotics, shoes, exercise routine, and running pattern to pinpoint the root cause of your shin splints. By detecting underlying issues, a physiotherapist can help you modify your running pattern, shoe inserts, or exercise program to reduce the risk of shin splints.
Wondering How to Manage Shin Splints? Our Caring Team at Physio Pro Is Here to Help
Rest, ice, good-quality shoe inserts, and gentle stretching can help manage shin splints. Fortunately, most shin splints heal within a few weeks and do not result in complications.
However, if your painful shins are ongoing, it is best to take action to ensure proper healing.
Shin splints physio can be an effective way to manage shin splints and strengthen the area against future injury. At Physio Pro, we’ve helped many patients over the years find relief from shin splints.
Book Your Shin Splints Physio Appointment now to get back on track toward enjoying the activities and sports you love.
