Shin pain is referred to as shin splints and includes four conditions resulting from strenuous exercise.
They usually occur in people resuming exercise after a period of inactivity.
The most common splint is posterior tibial shin splint which accounts for 75% of the problems that athletes have with front leg pain.
Shin splints are definitely sports/exercise related.
Couch potatoes need have no fear.
The tibia is the large bone on the front of the leg which runs from the knee to the ankle.
The tibia is surrounded by a sheath called the periostium.
When the posterior tibial muscle is overstressed, pain results in the area where the muscle connects to the tibia.
The pain and tenderness occur in a three to four inch area on the inner edge of the tibia about halfway between the knee and the ankle.
The bone itself will not be tender; the pain is in the muscle.
Treatment involves a week of complete rest.
Apply ice for twenty minutes two times a day.
Once the pain has left, start stretching exercises.
If you have flat feet, use an arch support in your running shoes.
Wait two to four weeks before starting to run again.
Start at half speed and increase speed and distance gradually.
However the bone will be tender in another type of shin splint called tibial periostitis.
While the pain is the same as in posterior tibial shin, the location is different.
The pain and tenderness are toward the front of the leg.
The treatment for tibial periostitis is the same as for posterior tibial shin splints but you can return to sports sooner, in about a week.
Anterior compartment syndrome, a third type of shin splint occurs on the outer side of the front of the leg.
Under intensive stress, the muscles in the anterior compartment swell with blood.
This swelling compresses the blood vessels thereby decreasing blood flow.
It is the diminished blood flow, which causes the pain.
To treat this condition, take a ten to fifteen minute rest when you feel the pain.
Once the pain leaves and you begin to run again, run slowly.
However, there are some people who will need surgery to correct the problem.
This is very rare.
The fourth type of splint is a stress fracture.
With a stress fracture, the tenderness and pain is located one to two inches just below the knee.
This type of fracture is treated with rest, not with a cast.
It will heal in four to six weeks.
Then you need to recondition your legs.
If your feet over pronate you will be more vulnerable to shin pain.
To determine if you do this, examine your shoes carefully.
A heavier wear patter on the inside front indicates over pronation.
It is very important to have the correct footwear.
You need to replace your running shoes every six months, or every four hundred miles, whichever occurs first.
Your shoes should have excellent shock absorption, especially in the heel area.
Again, people with flat feet really need to consider an arch support.
And finally, exercise caution in returning to running or jogging.
You should have a complete pain free week before trying your sport again.
And when you do start you should break in slowly with short distances and a slower pace building up gradually to your pre-injury rates and distances.
They usually occur in people resuming exercise after a period of inactivity.
The most common splint is posterior tibial shin splint which accounts for 75% of the problems that athletes have with front leg pain.
Shin splints are definitely sports/exercise related.
Couch potatoes need have no fear.
The tibia is the large bone on the front of the leg which runs from the knee to the ankle.
The tibia is surrounded by a sheath called the periostium.
When the posterior tibial muscle is overstressed, pain results in the area where the muscle connects to the tibia.
The pain and tenderness occur in a three to four inch area on the inner edge of the tibia about halfway between the knee and the ankle.
The bone itself will not be tender; the pain is in the muscle.
Treatment involves a week of complete rest.
Apply ice for twenty minutes two times a day.
Once the pain has left, start stretching exercises.
If you have flat feet, use an arch support in your running shoes.
Wait two to four weeks before starting to run again.
Start at half speed and increase speed and distance gradually.
However the bone will be tender in another type of shin splint called tibial periostitis.
While the pain is the same as in posterior tibial shin, the location is different.
The pain and tenderness are toward the front of the leg.
The treatment for tibial periostitis is the same as for posterior tibial shin splints but you can return to sports sooner, in about a week.
Anterior compartment syndrome, a third type of shin splint occurs on the outer side of the front of the leg.
Under intensive stress, the muscles in the anterior compartment swell with blood.
This swelling compresses the blood vessels thereby decreasing blood flow.
It is the diminished blood flow, which causes the pain.
To treat this condition, take a ten to fifteen minute rest when you feel the pain.
Once the pain leaves and you begin to run again, run slowly.
However, there are some people who will need surgery to correct the problem.
This is very rare.
The fourth type of splint is a stress fracture.
With a stress fracture, the tenderness and pain is located one to two inches just below the knee.
This type of fracture is treated with rest, not with a cast.
It will heal in four to six weeks.
Then you need to recondition your legs.
If your feet over pronate you will be more vulnerable to shin pain.
To determine if you do this, examine your shoes carefully.
A heavier wear patter on the inside front indicates over pronation.
It is very important to have the correct footwear.
You need to replace your running shoes every six months, or every four hundred miles, whichever occurs first.
Your shoes should have excellent shock absorption, especially in the heel area.
Again, people with flat feet really need to consider an arch support.
And finally, exercise caution in returning to running or jogging.
You should have a complete pain free week before trying your sport again.
And when you do start you should break in slowly with short distances and a slower pace building up gradually to your pre-injury rates and distances.