It's not always easy to pinpoint the cause of shin splints. The pain often occurs while playing sports, training, exercising, or immediately following the activity. Shin splints often feel like a stabbing pain in the front or inner tibia, also called your shinbone.
Our top-rated doctors at the Orthopaedic Institute of Henderson offer holistic solutions to relieve pain and address the underlying cause of shin splints. Our advanced sports medicine treatments ease discomfort and help your body heal, so you can return to living an active life as quickly as possible.
Shin pain can occur for many reasons, like wearing new running shoes or trying a new training technique. But there are many other causes of shin splints.
You may experience shin splints due to overtraining muscles. Often, the overloaded muscles result from fast sprints or an abrupt change in direction. Many runners and basketball players experience shin pain.
But shin splints can also indicate training deficiencies due to illness or a longer break from training. Increased body weight or unsuitable running shoes can also trigger the pain.
You can also get shin splints resulting from inflammation or irritation in the affected tissue. If left untreated, this can lead to muscle fiber tears.
Pain in the shin area is often the result of:
When a jogger hits hard on the heel, they force the front of the foot to perform a quick balancing movement. This puts a lot of strain on the surrounding muscles and tissues.
Shin splints aren’t dangerous if you see a doctor as soon as pain appears. The earlier we treat this condition, the sooner it will go away.
But shin pain can disappear and reappear quickly, repeatedly, until it becomes a chronic issue. If the inflammation becomes chronic, your shins may remain tender over time.
To reduce pain and inflammation, take a break from sports, running, or other activities that could aggravate your shinbones.
Most importantly, have one of our providers at the Orthopaedic Institute of Henderson examine the painful area to rule out more serious problems such as a stress fracture, which often has similar symptoms.
There are many options for treating shin splints, including:
Rest is also important, even if it’s difficult. If you continue to run anyway or start again too soon, you risk prolonging the injury. It's better to give up your beloved run for a while.
Don’t let shin splints become chronic pain. Call our Henderson, Nevada, office today to schedule a consultation.
