Shin splints are pain near and or around the shine bone. It can be a dull or aching pain. Some people experience it only when running or walking while others may continue to feel it even when resting.

Shin splints are often looked at as an overuse injury, but can also occur in someone who is unaccustomed to running/walking or training.

People can also experience shin splints when they have changed their running or walking environment/surface. This could also include changing their shoes.

Shin splint are often the sign of tight muscles. Particularly your calf muscles and your Achilles heel. This is yet another example of why stretching is so important and how it can save your from injury.

Another reason people experience shin splints is because they struggle with over-pronation(when your feet roll in too much) or “flat” feet.

Getting an arch support for your shoes will help over-pronation or “flat” feet greatly. I recommend Super Feet. Most any running store will carry them. They are fantastic inserts that will slip into your shoes and GREATLY support your arch.

Here is a little anatomy lesson for ya:

The arch in your foot is VERY connected to your tibia bone, which runs from your knee to your ankle. This is in essence your “shin” area. As your foot strikes the ground when you are running/walking the muscle responsible for raising your arch is attached to your shin bone. When the tendon(tendons connect muscle to bone) of this muscle becomes stressed over time, the muscle fibers in your arch will begin to tear away from the bone. This will cause bleeding around the lining of your bone, which is painful. This is what you are actually “feeling” when you say you have shin splints.

Shin splints are easy to treat, but unfortunately can take a varied amount of time to heal.

I would start with obviously avoiding the activity that originally brought on the shin splints. Next, be sure to ice for 20 minutes every 2-4 hours until the pain subsides. Also, have a glass of tarty cherry juice or 20 tart cherries. This will greatly help to reduce the pain and inflammation.

Be careful to take the steps necessary to fully recover from your shin splints before you return to your activity or else it could potentially lead into a stress fracture or something worse. =O

To avoid shin splints in the future be sure to always have good arch support and the right shoes. Never rush into anything when working out. Ease into new environments/surfaces/intensities. Also, be sure to always stretch!

And lastly, in an effort to avoid any injury, a healthy diet is KEY!