Shin Splints

Shin splints

Pain that can occur on the inside part of the lower shin bone and is commonly associated with, but not exclusively, to running.  Its official name is medial tibial stress syndrome or medial tibial traction periostitis and here is some information about it.

Often pain is located in specific areas on the lower shin area and can be present when you start running, eases with activity but can then reappear towards the end of a session or after you have stopped.

In a typical inflammatory pain pattern, symptoms are worse in the morning and ease after about 30 minutes.  Occasionally you can feel lumpy bumpy areas over the shin where it is painful.

The muscles of the lower leg pull on the periosteum or sheath surrounding the shin bone causing pain and inflammation. This is an over use injury resulting from increasing running mileage too quickly, excessive training on hard surfaces and running on your toes when completing sprinting repetitions.

Occasionally the lower leg biomechanics can influence irritation if the foot pronates or it could also relate to soft tissue tightness in the calf muscles.

Ankle position (over pronated or supinated), flexibility in the lower leg, training intensity changes and poor footwear are common causes.

Treatment includes, RICE, taping to offload the tension spots, massage, changes to biomechanical causes, advice on footwear, strength and stretching exercises for the lower leg.

If you are marathon training and struggle with any lower leg pain, contact the clinic and we can assess your situation and offer the right management to keep you on track for your goals.