The Skinny on Shin Splints
Many of you know what I’m talking about when I speak of shin splints. You may have experienced them years ago and learned of their cruel ways. Personally, I remember getting them after many track practices in high school. You may be nursing them right now and aren’t really sure how to get rid of them. Well, here are some answers and explanations that I hope help you recover quickly and understand more about them.
Shin splints are the lower leg pains that occur when the bone tissue and thin membranes of the lower shinbone become inflamed. The pain is caused by an overload on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone. The proper medical term for this is actually medial tibia stress syndrome or TSS. When athletes such as runners or aerobic dancers overwork their legs, TSS or shin splints, are often the results. There is a certain amount of shock that the legs can handle but with worn shoes, pronated or flat feet, shin splints can occur. A certain amount of trauma to the tibia (shin bone) must occur for shin splints to appear. Improper stretching can also cause shin splints. Make sure to stretch slightly before a run and more extensively after a run. For beginners, make sure to know your own body’s limits. Recognize when you have pushed yourself too hard. Take the rest you need.
TREATMENT
If you feel pain and soreness in a two or three inch area of your shins, you may have TSS. The best way to deal with this is to stop what you are doing to cause this (running, jumping, pounding the ground) and give yourself a rest. If they are particularly painful, you may need to give yourself a full week of rest. Ice packs and a light bandage will minimize the pain and help to take down the inflammation. It’s important to notice the level of pain and deal with it at the time. If it becomes acute and the athlete cannot walk, it could be a stress fracture.
Return to your exercise once you no longer feel pain but be mindful not to push yourself too hard. You can always modify the workouts to ensure that you are protecting yourself while getting a full body workout.
Replace your old sneakers! This is a very important way to avoid shin splints. You should be buying new sneakers every six months if you work out a few times a week. If you are a runner and you have more mileage than most on your sneaks, then change them every four months!
Don’t be put-off by shin splits if you’ve got them. Just ice them, rest-up and get back to working out. Just make sure to modify when you feel a little pain, don’t forget to stretch…and pay attention to your feet (replace those nasty old sneakers!)
-Liz Samuel
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