CONDITIONS

Shin Splints

Shin splints refer to pain and tenderness along or just behind the large bone in the lower leg (the tibia).This pain concentrates in the lower leg between the knee and ankle.

Shin splints frequently affect people who engage in moderate to heavy physical activity. You may be more likely to develop shin splints if you participate in strenuous physical activities or stop-start sports such as tennis, racquetball, soccer, or basketball.

Sometimes the pain of shin splints can be so intense that you must stop the activity.

Shin splints is a cumulative stress disorder. Repeated pounding and stress on the bones, muscles, and joints of the lower legs prevents your body from being able to naturally repair and restore itself.

Causes

Shin splints most often happen after hard exercise, sports, or repetitive activity. This repetitive action can lead to inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and thin layer of tissue covering the shin bones, causing pain.

Shin splints can also result from stress reactions to bone fractures. The constant pounding can cause minute cracks in the bones of the leg. The body can repair the cracks if given time to rest.

Symptoms

These are the most common symptoms of shin splints:

• Pain felt on the front and outside of the shin. It’s first felt when the heel touches the ground during running. In time, pain becomes constant and the shin is painful to the touch.

• Pain that starts on the inside of the lower leg above the ankle. Pain gets worse when standing on the toes or rolling the ankle inward. As the shin splint progresses, the pain will increase.

• a dull ache in the front part of the lower leg
• pain that develops during exercise
• pain on either side of the shin bone
• muscle pain
• pain along the inner part of the lower leg
• tenderness or soreness along the inner part of the lower leg
• swelling in the lower leg (usually mild, if present)
• numbness and weakness in the feet

Risk factors

• an anatomical abnormality (such as flat foot syndrome)
• muscle weakness in the thighs or buttocks
• lack of flexibility
• improper training techniques
• running downhill
• running on a slanted surface or uneven terrain
• running on hard surfaces like concrete
• using inappropriate or worn-out shoes for running or working out
• participating in sports that have fast stops and starts (like soccer or downhill skiing)

Shin splints are also more likely to occur when your leg muscles and tendons are tired. Women, people with flat feet or rigid arches, athletes, military recruits, and dancers all have an increased likelihood of developing shin splints.

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider can most often diagnose shin splints by reviewing your medical history and doing a physical exam. X-rays are often needed.