Running Without Pain: Tips and Tricks to Avoid Shin Splints

 This blog post will review the signs and symptoms of shin splits, and how Physiotherapy proves valuable insight in reducing or even preventing this nagging but longstanding running injury.

If you’re a runner, shin splints can bring your training to an abrupt and painful halt. Shin splints are among the most common running injuries, causing pain from anywhere along the lower part of your leg – ranging from mild soreness to debilitating pain. It’s important to understand what causes shin splints and how to prevent them. Knowledge of physiotherapy exercises will help anyone stay injury-free – not just runners, but anyone who is active and on their feet all day!

1. Introducing Shin Splints - What Are They?

2. Understanding the Causes of Shin Splints

3. Signs & Symptoms of Shin Splints 

4. Physio Treatment & Management

5. Rehab Exercises

6. Tips to Avoid Shin Splint Injury for Runners

Shin Splints: What Are They?

 As a Physiotherapist, I'm no stranger to treating patients with this condition. But, what exactly are shin splints, and how can you tell if they are what you're suffering from? The medical term for shin splints is medial tibial stress syndrome, basically, an inflammation of the muscles and connective tissues surrounding the shinbone (tibia). When you experience persistent dull aching or sharp pain along the inner sides of your shins, you may have shin splints. It's a common misconception that shin splints are solely related to running. They can affect anyone – from dancers to army soldiers. Typically, shin splints are caused by sudden increases in exercise intensity or duration, improper footwear, or biomechanical imbalances. To effectively identify and treat shin splints, it's important to listen to your body and book a physiotherapy assessment for a physio plan uniquely tailored to your body.

Causes of Shin Splints

 Understanding the causes of shin splints is necessary for proper treatment and management. As one of the most common running injuries, they are known to affect women more than men, as well as those over the age of 30 – but can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. The underlying causes of this condition include: poor biomechanics like overpronation, muscle weakness, and tightness in the calves and tibialis anterior muscles, high-intensity exercise without adequate warm up or recovery, and unsupportive footwear worn for exercise.

 Not only does understanding the causes help to prevent shin splints from happening in the first place, but it also helps Physiotherapists create an effective treatment plan with exercises that are specific to the patient’s needs.

Signs & Symptoms

 As a Physiotherapist, I see shin splints quite frequently, and the good news is that you can learn to recognise the signs and symptoms early for effective pain management. Common signs of shin splints include a dull ache or throbbing pain in the front of the lower leg, often close to the shinbone. I always tell my patients to be aware of any tenderness, pain, or even minor swelling in the area during their runs, especially after starting up a new training plan or increasing intensity. If you experience muscle tightness, discomfort during walking or even while at rest, take some recovery time and book an appointment with me. Education is the best tool for managing shin splints.

 As a Physiotherapist, I know that a combination of manual therapy, exercises, and joint mobility work properly remedy this common running condition (Winters et al., 2018). 

To get the best results, I recommend incorporating self-management at home as well. Try foam rollers or massage balls for tight calf muscles and arches, and don't forget to strengthen your hip and core muscles, as they are important for controlling the legs during running.  

To stay active during recovery, try low-impact cross-training like swimming or cycling, which can help maintain your fitness without aggravating your condition.

Shin splints can be very frustrating and painful for runners. A 2019 systematic review by Newman, Hooke & Withers shows the importance of strength training to improve muscle endurance for the legs, reducing the reoccurrence of shin splints.

Physio rehab exercises can be easily done at home. These include: seated and standing calf raises, eccentric heel drops, toe taps, and single-leg standing balance exercises that help increase strength and stability. Pilates has proven to be beneficial in increasing stability and flexibility for runners. Doing basic Pilates exercises such as leg circles, pelvic curls, scissors, single-leg stretches, and side leg lifts helps to maintain good running form.

1. Warm Up and Cool Down: Before you start running, make sure to warm up with dynamic stretches. After your run, don’t forget to cool down by doing a few minutes of light jogging followed by static stretches, to aid in muscle recovery.

2. Wear Proper Shoes: Wearing the right type of shoes for your running style is vital. If you overpronate, choose shoes with good arch support and stability.

 3. Increase Mileage Gradually: Adding too much mileage too soon can put strain on your muscles and cause injury. Gradually increasing your mileage will help your body adjust.

 4. Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can cause an electrolyte imbalance, leading to muscle cramping and pain around the shins.

 5. Take Rest Days: It is important to take a day off of running once a week to allow your body time to recover and rest. This will help reduce the risk of shin splints.

If you have shin splints:

• Never ignore the pain and continue running.

• Avoid high-impact activities such as jumping, skipping, and running on hard surfaces or hills.

• Don’t stretch the affected area too much, as this can further aggravate the injury.

• Don’t wear heeled shoes for long periods of time, as these can aggravate the injury.

• Don’t run again until you are pain-free, and your muscles have had adequate time to recover.

Shin splints are a common injury for runners – so it's vital to understand the causes and signs and symptoms to effective avoid or manage them. If you think you may have shin splints or are currently suffering from them, please book a physiotherapy appointment with me and I will help create a rehab plan specifically tailored for you!