Shin Splints
January 29, 2009
Sports injuries are injuries that occur during the participation of a sports activity or event. Shin splints are a sports injury, and are the most common injuries known to athletes. It is associated with running and other high impact sports.
It is a general name given to pain in front of the lower leg. It is considered as stress pain as it usually occurs after stress to the muscles and joints. Shin splints represent one member of a group of injuries called “overuse injuries “.
Symptoms
Pain is located on the outer front portion of the lower leg (anterior shin splints) or on the back inside of the lower leg (posterior shin splints). The pain usually appears at the beginning of the training, and though it lessens a little, it reappears again at the end of the training.
Sometimes it becomes so painful that the training has to be stopped. The pain increases with activities like running, jumping, hill climbing etc. The calf muscles may be tight and inflexible. There may be lumps and bumps over the shin bone or redness over the inside of the shin. If the pain is severe, contact your doctor immediately.
Causes
Shin splints are developed mostly due to overuse, and stress on the muscles and joints. Other causes are inexperienced running, running on uneven surfaces or tilted surfaces, running in worn out shoes, running uphill or down hill. Running on a smooth surface and changing to rough surface, playing games that have frequent starts and stops, and also due to excessive and long hours of training.
How To Avoid Shin Splints
Always warm up before running. After running cool yourself by stretching all your muscles. Walk first then gradually increase the speed. Immediate running can cause injury. Increase you training slowly. Too much running and too long running at a stretch can be harmful. So have a professional to design your program. Avoid running on uneven surfaces.
Reduce the impact force when jumping because if the foot does not land properly, it will tilt, giving pressure on the knee joint. To prevent this, replace your old worn out shoes with well fitting shoes. Another cause for shin splints is weak quad muscles because if they are not strong enough to support the shin, it will develop pain.
Treatment
If you are suffering from shin splints, you should learn to treat them properly. The best form of treatment for shin splints is giving rest to your legs. Avoid running or jumping when there is pain as this will only aggravate the pain. Apply ice, as this will help to reduce swelling and inflammation. Wear proper foot wear with shock absorbing insoles. Tape your shins to reduce stress. Take anti-inflammatory tablets like aspirin or ibuprofen as this will bring down swelling and inflammation and gives you relief from pain. Stay away from cement floor.
Getting back to your normal training and exercises must be done gradually with less intensity. If your shin pain continues for more than three weeks, consult your physician for proper diagnosis.
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