Table of Contents
How can you tell if you have shin splints?
Your doctor will look at your gait, how you walk, examine your lower leg, ankle and foot. A complete exam will involve moving your ankle and foot around, feeling for tenderness along the bone. Standing on the painful leg or hopping on that leg may help to diagnose if shin splints or a stress fracture may be present.
What are 4 causes of shin splints?
Common activities that cause shin splints are:
- Running, especially on hills.
- Increasing your days of training.
- Increasing the intensity of training, or going a longer distance.
- Doing exercise that has frequent stops and starts, such as dancing, basketball, or military training.
What can be confused for shin splints?
Medical conditions that have similar symptoms to shin splints include:
- Reduced blood flow in the lower leg (more common in smokers).
- Leg muscle bulging out of place (muscle hernia).
- Swelling of muscles causing nerve compression (compartment syndrome).
- Nerve problems in the lower back (radiculopathy).
What are 7 causes for shin splints?
7 Causes of Shin Splints
- Starting or intensifying a sport or training.
- Wearing unsupportive shoes.
- Running or playing sports on hard surfaces.
- Running on hilly or uneven terrain.
- Having preexisting foot and ankle problems.
- Having poor running form.
- Having tight calf muscles.
How do you fix chronic shin splints?
Treatment
- Rest. Because shin splints are typically caused by overuse, standard treatment includes several weeks of rest from the activity that caused the pain.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines.
- Ice.
- Compression.
- Flexibility exercises.
- Supportive shoes.
- Orthotics.
- Return to exercise.
Are shin splints bad?
Also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, shin splints can be painful and disrupt training regimes. However, they are not a serious condition and may be alleviated with some simple home remedies. Shin splints are characterized by pain in the lower leg, on the front, outside, or inside of the leg.
Why are my shin splints not going away?
If your shins aren’t rested after your shin splints are treated, then symptoms can easily show themselves again. Inflammation passes quickly, but the cause of inflammation does not. Recurring shin splints are common, and, without full treatment, there is a possibility for permanent injury.
How do you get rid of long term shin splints?
Rest, ice, compression, elevation (RICE) method
- Rest. Rest from all activities that cause you pain, swelling, or discomfort.
- Ice. Place ice packs on your shins for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
- Compression. Try wearing a calf compression sleeve to help reduce inflammation around your shins.
- Elevation.
What happens if I ignore shin splints?
If left untreated, shin splints can lead to lower leg compartment syndrome or even a stress fracture. Several risk factors have been identified to increase the likelihood of developing shin splints, particularly in runners.
What can happen if shin splints go untreated?
If left untreated, shin splints and stress reaction can progress ultimately to stress fracture, which is when the bone can no longer handle the load being placed on it and it cracks. A fracture means broken bone, so a stress fracture is truly a type of broken bone.
What happens if you leave shin splints untreated?
Can you have shin splints for years?
Recurring shin splints are common, and, without full treatment, there is a possibility for permanent injury. It’s also important to not self-diagnose shin splints, as they can sometimes mask more severe injuries, like a stress fracture. Shin splints also take much longer to heal than you might think.