What To Do About Painful Shin Splints

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.

What causes shin pain?

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.

Overtrained muscles

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. 

Muscle injury or inflammation

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.

Training mistakes

Pain in the shin area is often the result of:

• Soles that are too hard
• Incorrect rolling
• Stepping on the outer edge of the foot 

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. 

Pain that becomes chronic

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.

Take immediate action

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. 

Take time to heal

There are many options for treating shin splints, including:

• Home remedies, like icing, and anti-inflammatories
• Physical therapy
• Medications

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.