"Shin splints" is a catch all name used to cover chronic pain that affects the front portion of your shin (Tibia), usually the lower portion. Because the term shin splints can refer to anything that causes pain in your shin, the causes are numerous. They can range from stress fractures (microscopic breaks of the shin bone Tibia) to inflamed myofascia (tissue that covers your muscles) with a bunch of other causes in between. Regardless of what injury you have, shin splints are a painful condition and once you have them they can be hard to get rid of.
Shin splints are a chronic condition, which means they come on gradually. Usually, when you are developing shin splints the first complaint is just achy pain in the front of the shin, similar to how your feet feel at the end of standing for hours. Most people ignore this achy pain until it becomes so bad they have difficulty with their normal workouts or daily life. People who run are more likely to experience shin splints than people who are more into weight lifting.
Gotta go fast.
The good news is, shin splints can be prevented easily if you have a little bit of patience.
Retire Old Shoes:
Over time, the support and padding in your shoes wears out. Since there is less support for your feet, it means that your feet are absorbing more impact with every stride. More impact on your feet and shins means more stress and that added stress over time can lead to shin splints. The length of time you should keep your shoes depends on how much you use them. As a general guideline, after 6 months of consistent use it is time to retire your running shoes.
Break In New Shoes Properly:
New shoes, even ones that are perfect for your feet, need to be broken in. Sometimes the padding in new shoes can rub and cause irritation or painful blisters. This pain and irritation will cause your body to change its stride in order to avoid the pain. The padding can also place your body slightly out of alignment compared to your normal stride, because it is applying pressure to your feet where there was no pressure before. The padding is important because it gives your foot support, but unless you have some type of extenuating circumstance it's better to not alter your natural stride. Small alterations in your natural stride cause your body to absorb the stress of running poorly, and overtime the stress can lead to shin splints. It's usually pretty easy to break in your shoes though, all you have to do is walk around in them until they feel natural on your feet. Walk around your home for a few minutes each night and you should be good to go after about a week.
Buy Shoes Appropriate For Your Feet:
Just like everyone is a little different, everyone's feet are also a little different. If you have had foot or leg problems before from over-use you may want to consult a podiatrist or go to a specialty footwear store. The specific structure of your foot may require a bit of extra support in certain areas, like an arch support or a gel heel cup. If you are unsure about your foot structure, my general rule is go with what feels good on your foot. If it feels painful with too much arch support you probably don't need extra at that time. Also, take your running surface into account when buying shoes, as different surfaces will wear the bottom of shoes at different rates (meaning they will have to be replaced at different rates).
REJECT PILE
Ramp Up Mileage Gradually:
The key to cardio is to start small and gradually work your way to longer runs. The human body is awesome at adjusting to the stress you put it through, but drastically changing the level of stress from low (no running) to high (running 5 miles) in a short period of time doesn't allow your body to adapt, and it's possible that you can end up with an injury. Add half a mile a week and you'll be fine.
Be Careful When Switching Surfaces:
Each surface you run on has a different resistance. Running on tracks and treadmills is lower impact than running on concrete. It doesn't mean that you can't run on whichever surface you want, but you need to start with shorter runs to give your body a chance to adapt to the changing surface. You may have the cardiovascular capacity to run five miles but when you switch surfaces your body still has to absorb all the force from running and it needs time to adapt. When you switch to a new surface, use the same acclimatization as when you are just starting up running.
Mix Up the Route You Run:
The roads and sidewalks are slightly slanted to allow for rain and water to run off the road. The slight slant in the roads can throw off your stride. It places more stress on one leg than the other. It's not a big deal unless you run the exact same route every time. You don't even have to really change your route to prevent this, just run the same route in the opposite direction.
I hope you guys like these tips, if you have any questions or want elaboration let me know in the comments section. I'd love to know what topics you want to learn about so let me know.
**NOTE: These are tips meant to prevent shin splints, not help fix them. If you are currently experiencing pain in your shins or ankles you should see your doctor who may refer you to a specialist or physical therapist
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