First, to reduce the pain, use an ice pack on your lower legs after you run. Keep an ice pack on the leg for 20 minutes several times throughout the day. Wrap the ice in a towel so that it does not directly touch the skin. Experts also suggest that you use compression gear such as compression bandages or compression socks to reduce swelling and consider taking an anti-inflammatory medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
Speak to your healthcare provider about taking medications to relieve pain or reduce swelling. Once you've successfully treated your shin splints, it's important to prevent them from reoccurring. Here are eight ways to prevent or reduce your risk for shin splints. If your pain persists, see your doctor about the possibility of a stress fracture.
Shin splints are considered an overuse injury because they usually occur when runners especially for those who are new to running increase their mileage or intensity too quickly and do not allow for recovery time. The important thing is not to run through the pain. Listen to your body and cut back on running when you begin to feel pain.
Medical experts suggest that you should not return to running until you have been pain-free for two weeks. Running on hard surfaces, such as concrete, can put a lot of extra stress on your muscles, joints, and bones. Try running on grass or dirt trails, especially if you're planning a longer run. You may want to opt for a treadmill run once or twice a week. Running on a treadmill is easier on your body than running on the roads or sidewalks.
When you're first starting out, try to avoid running two days in a row. A rest day will limit the pounding on your muscles, joints, and bones and give your body a chance to recover. Even if you're an experienced runner, taking at least one or two days off from running each week reduces your risk of shin splints and other overuse injuries.
Use some of your days off from running for rest. But for others, consider cross-training with a sport that puts less pressure on your shins. This could be low-impact aerobic exercises, such as swimming, biking, cross country skiing, or aqua jogging. Wearing the wrong shoes can also lead to shin splints, so check your shoes to see if you might need more stability or cushion. Running experts can examine your gait, the structure of your feet, and the wear on your current running shoes to find the best fit.
Also, replace your running shoes every to miles. Running in shoes that have lost their cushioning is one of the most common causes of shin splints. You can also try inserting over-the-counter shoe inserts so that your calves don't have to stretch as far. If you experience shin pain when running, it may be because of weak anterior tibialis muscles, which run along the front side of your lower leg. This muscle is responsible for flexing the foot at the ankle drawing the toes toward your knee.
You may start feeling pain in this area if you're new to running or you increase your distance too quickly. Doing simple exercises such as heel raises or toe raises can help strengthen your calf and shin muscles, which can help prevent shin pain. Doing these exercises post-run will also give you a nice stretch. Toe raises are very easy to do. You don't need any special equipment and you can do them anywhere. Do them a few times a week to develop your anterior tibialis muscles and prevent shin splints.
Here's what to do:. To increase strength and stability, heel raises can also be done one leg at a time. Changing your footstrike may help you to avoid shin splints. Try to avoid heel striking or toe running and instead try to land on the middle of the foot. Ideally, you should land mid-sole and then roll through and push off through the front of the toes. While the practice is common, landing on your heels can cause stress in the lower leg.
Similarly, landing on your toes can stress the gastrocnemius calf muscle. Both of these footstrike patterns can contribute to shin splints and other injuries. Use these tips to practice landing on your mid-foot:. Supplement miles logged with exercises that are less jarring on the joints, like cycling, rowing, and swimming. Fight the tendency to heel strike or pull a tippy—toed Fred Flintstone dash.
Hitting heel first causes overstriding and leads the foot to slap down onto the pavement, stretching the shin muscles and forcing them to work harder to slow down.
On the other hand foot? Bottom line: Avoid injury and strain by landing flat, on your mid-foot, says Jeffers. A correct gait is essential to preventing injury. You may be pulling for that finish line, but make it a habit to watch your stride length—especially at the end of a taxing workout. While biomechanics and varying leg length make it impossible to prescribe an exact distance, a shorter stride is typically better.
Practice with a cadence drill once a week every week. Count your cadence—how many times you turn over—on one foot for 30 seconds. Then, take a second break. Repeat for sets, aiming to add an additional count each time. Keep in mind there is no magic number. A prescribed turnover rate might drive some individuals to failure and not be enough for others. In fact, it may be causing your shin splints.
Look for motion control or stability shoes, or a good neutral shoe. These strategies include wearing appropriate fitness shoes, warming up before engaging in recreational activities, gradually increasing activity so the body can adapt, discontinuing the activity if you start experiencing pain in the shins, keeping your body weight in check, and seeking the attention of a Physical Therapist before pain arises in order to assess your running or sport biomechanics.
For active individuals such as runners, it is important to take time to find a comfortable shoe that protects the foot and promotes normal mobility. If you do not have any foot injuries or complications, minimalist type shoes, which replicate the movement of a bare foot are highly recommended. However, you will likely need to seek advice on transitioning from your current footwear to minimalist shoes to avoid injuries from sudden change.
Minimalist type shoes improve the strength of the feet over time by allowing the feet to bear more of the impact force that is experienced during physical activity. In addition, they promote an increased cadence step frequency , which subsequently decreases the strain on your lower extremities.
There is also reliable evidence available on prevention of shin splints by using shock-absorbing insoles within your shoes, however, more quality research is certainly required before this advice becomes universal. Your Physical Therapist can assess your running and walking pattern, as well as assess your foot and lower extremity alignment and biomechanics to help you determine the best footwear. Taking adequate time for the feet to adjust to new shoes and gradually increasing the level of physical activity, along with replacing your shoes regularly in order to maximize their function will also help to prevent injury.
Taking ample time to properly warm up before engaging in physical activity can also reduce the occurrence of injuries.
A warm up that includes a short activity to get the heart rate up followed by dynamic stretching is best. Dynamic stretches are stretches that involve quick movements of the limbs and body and, for best results, should simulate the activity you are about to engage in. When athletes perform dynamic warm-ups, they typically demonstrate enhanced flexibility and improved performance. Runners, for example, may do dynamic stretching by swinging their legs back and forth to simulate running or do several jumps on the spot.
These quick stretches stimulate the nervous system and increase the range of motion in the muscles and joints. If you start experiencing pain in your shins during physical activity it is important to discontinue the activity and allow the muscles in the legs adequate time to rest and recover.
Simple icing can be very effective in this early stage of pain. Continuing to exercise when pain is felt in the shins can cause overexertion, which may lead to chronic shin splints, or a compartment syndrome or stress fracture developing. If, despite your best efforts, a shin splint develops, our Physical Therapists can help assess your body alignment and biomechanics, strengthen the muscles in your lower extremities and core, as well address any other pre-existing factors which may have put you at risk of developing shin splints in the first place.
One particular area of assessment that your Physical Therapist will assess is the position of one of the key bones of your foot, the navicular bone. If this bone is dropped, it has been shown that your chances of developing shin splints increase. Your therapist will help you correct any biomechanical imbalances or strength deficits that are present.
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