Treating Shin Splints

Jan 03

How to Treat and Avoid Shin Splints

Shin Splints Treatment No Comments »

Shin Splints at a Glance

Shin splints are a type of “overuse injury” to the legs brought on by excessive pounding of the feet during exercise, especially running.

The discomfort is on the outer edge of the mid region of the leg alongside the shinbone (tibia). The pain can be severe to the point that it temporarily causes you to stop your exercise routines, in effect disabling you.

The diagnosis requires a thorough, focused evaluation .

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What are shin splints?

Shin splints are a slow-healing and painful condition in the shins, commonly caused by too much running, jumping, gymnastics or even aggressive walking. In other words, it’s a result of excessive and repetitive pounding of the feet. The problem is heightened when the exercise is done on pavement or other hard, compact surfaces that do not allow sufficient cushioning.

Shin splints are injuries to the front of the outer leg. Although the precise injury is not known, shin splints appear to originate from inflammation brought on by an injury of the tendon and adjacent tissues in the front of the outer leg.

Shin splints are a member of a group of injuries called “overuse injuries.” They occur most often in runners or aggressive walkers. Ten to 15 percent of running injuries are shin splints. Poor running or exercising techniques can contribute to the problem.

Shin splints also are common among military recruits during boot camp and other periods of training.

In addition, some research has indicated that shin splints are more common in women, but that may be a consequence of women’s typically lower strength levels and smaller muscle size. Standing for extended periods of time and wearing high-heeled shoes also can cause shin splints.

What are the symptoms?

Shin splints cause pain in the front of the outer leg below the knee. The pain of shin splints is commonly situated on the outer edge of the mid region of the leg adjacent to the shinbone, which is the most prominent bone of the lower leg. An area of discomfort 4 to 6 inches long can often be found.

Pain is frequently felt at the early part of a workout and then decreases, only to reappear near the end of the exercise session. Shin splint discomfort often is described as dull at first. If the injury is not given time to mend, however, the pain can become so extreme as to cause athletes to cease workouts completely.

Shin splints pain also can be caused by irritation of the muscles that surround the tibia. These muscles become inflamed when repeated pounding of the feet causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons. This breakdown of the arch is known as over-pronation, or “flat feet.”

Shin splints can affect people of all ages, backgrounds and work profiles, and the pain can develop into a frustrating cycle. The pain can be continuous, nearly continuous, or at least frequently recurring. It can increase and decrease in intensity and is especially strong upon arising or after sitting for an extended period. It is a complicated mélange of emotions, culture, experience, spirit and sensation. The pain can affect school attendance, participation in sports and other extra-curricular activities.

What are the causes?

A major cause is a sudden increase in the length or intensity of your exercise routine. This surge in activity is often linked to irritation of the lower leg muscles, the muscles that raise the foot (the motion during which the foot pivots toward the tibia). This situation can be worsened by a tendency to pronate the foot (roll it excessively inward onto the arch).

Likewise, a tight Achilles tendon or weak ankle muscles also are frequently linked to the development of shin splints.

How are they diagnosed?

The diagnosis of shin splints is commonly made through an examination. The diagnosis depends on a thorough review of the patient’s medical history and a physical exam that focuses on the area of the shins and legs where local tenderness is noted.

Specialized (and costly) tests (for example, bone scans) are generally necessary only if the diagnosis is unclear. Radiology tests, such as X-rays, bone scan, or MRI scan, can be helpful in detecting stress fractures of the tibia.

Recommended Treatments

Treating Shin Splints.com recommends two shin splints treatment programs. Both come in the form of downloadable e-books, which means you can access them immediately after purchase. Both were written by former sufferers of shin splints.

Shin Splints No More

Shannon Clark, author of Shin Splints No More, says the e-book will teach you:

How your current shoes can be causing shin splints and how to select shoes that relieve and prevent shin splints.
How your posture can be the underlying cause of your shin splints and how you can correct this problem.
How muscle imbalances caused by weak and tight muscles can lead to sore shins and how to bring back the balance for pain-free shins.
What you must do within the first 24 hours of shin splint pain to speed up recovery.
Alternative treatment methods you can apply yourself without having to go to a specialist.

Buy the e-book, and as a bonus Clark will give you a series of free videos that “will run you through every single exercise you require in order to have injury-proof shins. Over 20 specifically tailored exercises for your individual problem. Including posture improvement exercises, running technique exercises, leg strengthening and deactivation exercises.”

Clark says you can watch the videos “from our members section, download them to your computer, put them on your iPod, burn them to a CD, whatever, it’s up to you.”

At the time of this writing Clark was selling Shin Splints No More for $29.95. The program has a 56-day money-back guarantee. “Cure your shin splints within 56 days or you don’t pay a single cent,” Clark says.

Follow this link to learn more about Shin Splints No More.

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Stop Shin Splints Forever

Gary Buchenic, author of Stop Shin Splints Forever, says his e-book will teach you:

The single most important secret (“less than 5% of shin splint sufferers follow”) behind long-term shin splint relief.
A 3-step method that has helped thousands of people get rid of shin splints for good.
A method for getting relief from your pain in 15 minutes.
Why conventional treatments don’t work and why they often make your shin splints worse.
A treatment to get relief from pain and inflammation using an ingredient that everyone has in his or her home.
Five mistakes to avoid that almost everyone is guilty of, which instead of curing your shin splints, weakens and destroys your body’s natural ability to heal itself.
The shin splint treatment secret of Jerry Lindgren, considered one of the greatest runners of all time.
How to prevent the recurrence of shin splints.
The “dirty little secret that the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want you to know about pain killers.”

Buchenic claims that after reading his e-book you will: