There is one thing for sure that everyone who has ever suffered from these has thought - 'What are my shin splints treatment options?' or probably more likely what was thought - 'How can I get rid of this dang pain!'

Let's face it, they can hurt like a son-of-a-gun, and when they do you can't get your mind of them. You can't focus, the pain and aching saps your motivation and desire to do much of anything at all, except relief the pain.

Before you can determine the right treatment option for your particular suffering, you need to understand the underlying cause of the pain. you'll need to somehow asses how severe the condition is - obviously the more severe they are the kind of treatment you will need to solve the problem will change.

I've listed some of the most common shin splint treatment options you can try down below - I never had surgery for mine, but I have used the other three over the years. 

Less Strenuous Physical Activity Sometimes you just need to ease up on the activity you do that causes the problem. When I was a runner, my shin splints always hurt worse after running on hard surfaces, such as road races. I ended up moving entirely to cross-country running instead, which reduced the amount of pain I felt at the end of the race. 

Physiotherapy When your pain gets so bad you need to seek outside help, a physiotherapist is usually somewhere on the list of people to call for help. The therapist can work with you to diagnose the underlying cause, offer treatment to help reduce swelling and pain, and give suggestions for exercises you can do at home to both strengthen the muscles and help relieve the residual pain. 

Surgery An extreme option, and usually not necessary nor recommended unless your suffering is very extreme and other treatment options have failed to provide relief. This option must always be handled by your doctor, and it's likely he will try everything else available before suggesting surgery as a solution. 

Muscle Strengthening ExercisesAs mentioned above for the physiotherapist, sometimes all it takes to relieve your shin splints pain is a series of muscle strengthening exercises. Muscle strain is one of the primary causes of shin splint pain, so having stronger muscles can help relieve the stress you put on them during physical activity, and thus reduce the pain you feel afterwards.

Understanding the underlying cause of the shin splints in the first place is key before you can decide on what shin splints treatment option is right for you. Visit Shin Splints Treatment Advice for more helpful articles and tips to help you not only relieve the pain, but also cure your Shin Splints for good.