Common Injuries in Runners: Shin Splints
Summary:
Shin splints, also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, is a common overuse injury typically seen in runners, dancers, and military personnel.
Anatomy & Function:
Shin splints present as pain in the lower leg that increases with activity. The pain is typically on the inside of the shin bone or on the front of the shin. The pain is often described as a deep, dull pain but can become more severe or sharp as it worsens.
Recent research by Winters et al in 2018 suggests that shin splints may actually be a bone overload injury. Running stresses bone through muscle contractions and landing impact. This loading causes microdamage which is a normal response that typically leads to denser, stronger bone. However, the current thought is that shin splints occur when the bone loading exceeds your body’s ability to adapt.
Why Do I Have Pain?
Large increases in volume, duration, and/or frequency of training can put individuals at risk for developing shin splints.
Other potential causes of shin splints include:
- Training on an incline or doing a lot of hill training
- Forefoot landing with running
- Decreased hip mobility
- Increased foot pronation (flat foot position)
Shin Splints vs. Stress Fractures:
Compared to shin splints, stress fractures will typically be described as pain that is more intense, localized, and sharp. Stress fractures are often seen on one side while shin splints can be bilateral.
Exercises:
Here are some progressive exercises we like to include for shin splints.
Suggestions for Runners:
- Alter your training program: address the volume, duration, and frequency to prevent overload. Focus on proper diet and recovery.
- Ditch the hills and hard pavement for now. Opt for kinder surfaces such as a track. The ground reaction force through the foot up to the shins needs to be reduced initially to allow for adequate recovery before building you back.
- In the meantime try cross training activities such as swimming and biking to maintain aerobic fitness levels.
- Check your footwear. Generally shoes should be changed around every 200-500 miles of usage.
- Try increasing your step rate or cadence by 5%
- Address muscle strength or mobility imbalances
Not totally sure what all of this means or how to change these things. Let us help you navigate shin splints!
Conclusion:
Bulletproof Physical Therapy is about more than just alleviating your pain. We want to move you from injured to healthy and ready to take on your next PR or race! Our comprehensive approach will get you out of pain and provide you with the tools to remain pain free for years to come!
Are you ready to become a stronger, healthier, and happier runner? The first step is getting in touch!
Click HERE to schedule a free discovery call!
