How to Cure Shin Splints
April 11, 2011, By Christian Cawley 0 comments
You go out for a run on a warm and sunny day, enjoying the weather and the feeling of freedom from all your duties and worries. Then you notice that your shins are starting to ache. The pain gets worse and soon you find yourself limping back home, frustrated and hurting. The pain eventually fades--until you head out again a few days later.
What's the deal? The culprit probably is shin splints.
Many young athletes have had their careers curtailed or affected by the threat of–and surrender to–this condition. Related to physical growth and over-training, shin splints can affect anyone, depending on their level of regular exercise. You don’t have to be an athlete to be afflicted, and curing shin splints is no easy task. From the woman who regularly wears high heels to the man who decides to step up his workout routine, anyone can become a victim. Being struck down with a potentially debilitating condition isn’t good for anyone, whether they have aspirations toward professional sports or just enjoy a jog in the park every week.
What Are Shin Splints?
Although many think of shin splints as fractures in the shin bone, the condition actually refers to a group of common shin-related complaints. The condition is better described by its medical term, medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). The different sources of shin splints--tendonitis, tibial periostitis, stress fractures and compartment syndrome--illustrate just how bad this problem can get.
Unfortunately, the problem isn’t easy to fix. Anyone suffering with shin splints will experience considerable pain in the lower leg, exacerbated by the muscles surrounding the tibia. As such, immediate treatment is required, and this is where patience is needed to stop the condition from reoccurring.
Causes of Shin Splints
Typically shin splints are aggravated by regular exercise, such as running, cycling, dancing or pretty much any physical activity with considerable leg movement.
If you’ve been swimming or playing soccer to get fit, shin splints can occur after any intensive session, often in situations where a change of direction or high-velocity impact is involved. The pain can be traced to your feet, where downward pressure on your tibia (the shinbone) stresses the bone and the surrounding muscles. Additionally, the collapse of the arch of the foot (overpronation, for those of you who like your medical terms) is related to shin splints.
You remember that time you jumped out of the tree at the edge of the old farm? That didn’t help.
