I see it so often, people get so motivated to start an exercise routine of running a few times a week. They start seeing progress after the first couple of weeks and bang! They get hit with the dreaded shin splints and they’re then left wondering why the hell they decided to take up exercising in the first place.
Trust me, I’ve been there, shin splints are a bitch. They can happen to anyone, actually, if you’re not looking after your body properly – even those who have been running for years could end up being troubled by shin splints.
With an exercise program, new or old, there are bound to be a few aches and pain that occur, usually good (e.g. DOMS) sometimes bad (pulled muscles, shin splints…). When you’re muscles are responding and recovery from a stimulus, they get sore before they get stronger, that’s good!
Shin splints – also known as medial tibial stress syndrome – are an acute pain in the shin and lower leg caused by inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissues about your tibia. It usually feels like a burning sensation along the shin. Generally you don’t have to worry about shin splints unless the pain continues after your workout – this extended pain can be a sign you’re progressing towards a stress reaction/fracture in your lower legs, please consult your medical doctor if this starts to occur!!
Shin splints obviously occur in the lower legs about the shins… hence the name. But there are actually two different “kinds” of shin splints, or places that you can get them:
- Anterior shin splints
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- Occur directly along the front of the tibia (most prominent shin bone)
- Generally caused by an overuse of the anterior tibialis muscle (the muscle that runs along the front of the shin – it is used to flex the foot up)
- Posterior shin splints
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- Occur along the inside edge of the lower leg
- Caused by muscle imbalances in the muscles of the lower legs (e.g. tight calves), or imbalances in foot position (over pronation/supination of foot)
But don’t worry! Once you have shin splints it doesn’t mean you have to live with them forever, there are ways that you can treat and prevent them!
Treating Shin Splints
1. REST! Rest is so, so important when dealing with shin splints. I know it’s probably not what you want to do if you’ve just gotten into the swing of an exercise routine, or exercise is an integral part of your routine, but trust me, pushing through the pain in this case won’t help you. Without rest they’re going to get worse and you’ll have to take more time off in the long run. This doesn’t mean that you can’t exercise though! Switch to something that isn’t as jarring on your lower body like biking, swimming, or strength training.
2. Strength training I find is often overlooked when it comes to rehabbing shin splints. By strengthening your lower legs, you’re allowing them to build up muscular tolerance to stress, and training them to be more stable. Single leg movements with free weights would be the most ideal type of strength training as this will help not only with the strengthening and stabilizing of your legs, but also with your balance as well. There are actually shin splint specific exercises and stretches that you can do. Check out this 4 Stretches To Combat Shin Splints article by bodybuilding.com.
3. Ice your shins for approximately 20 minutes every 2-3 hours to reduce the inflammation and swelling.
Ok so now your shins are feeling good and you’re ready to start back into your routine. Given that you’ve allowed yourself at least 2 weeks to recoup away from running, you can SLOWLY start adding it back into your workouts. The key here is that it needs to be slow that you don’t re-aggravate the issue. It is also important that you take the necessary steps to help prevent them from occurring again.
Preventing Shin Splints
1. The type of running shoes you wear are definitely more important that you think. Over pronation is a risk factor for shin splints according to studies, and wearing the correct shoes can prevent this from occurring. Consider going to a specialist running store to get a gait analysis so that they can find the best shoe type for how you run and walk specifically. And don’t think that just because you bought specialized running shoes 3 years ago that you’re good for the rest of your life! Running shoes typically last about 500 miles before the support and cushioning wear out. Don’t be fooled by the soles of your shoes, they will usually far outlast the support – your runners will need replacing long before the soles show drastic wear and tear!
2. Don’t over-stride when you’re running. Make sure your stride is longer in the back and shorter in the front, and push more off of your back leg for momentum. If you’re unsure whether or not you have good running technique, see a personal trainer or coach for some tips and an analysis!
3. Try not to over do it. You don’t need to run every. single. day. to get good at running. It is helpful for your muscles to take a break to recover so that they can come back stronger than before. Try alternating your running days with other forms of exercise like strength training, intervals, or HIIT.
4. Warm up before you run and run on softer surfaces. The warm up will prep your body for what’s about to come, and softer surfaces will absorb more of the impact when you hit the ground which will help protect your shins and lower legs from the jarring effect of running.
You can find more blog posts on how to recover from injuries on the Injury Rehabilitation section on my blog. Now get back out there and kill that new exercise program!
Until next time
xx