The condition known as shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, occurs in the lower leg after overuse, running on hard surfaces or exercising in poor footwear. The injury occurs when muscles and tendons in the lower leg become overworked and pull on the tibia and fibula bones. You feel the pain along the tibia on the inside of your lower leg, or the shin. As soon as you feel pain from shin splints, you should take steps to address that pain and heal your legs.
Rest
As soon as you feel shin splints coming on, rest your legs and avoid any possible causes of the pain. Avoid running and other high-impact exercises for at least 48 to 72 hours. During this period, choose low-impact exercises such as swimming or biking. Wait until your shins heal completely before resuming regular high-impact exercise.
Remedies
Applying ice packs to your shins can help heal the area, according to MayoClinic.com. Protect your skin by placing thin paper towels between your skin and the ice packs. Keep the packs on your legs for about 15 minutes. Elevate your shin to reduce swelling. Sleep with your leg lifted if you can. Applying some comprehension with an elastic bandage or sleeve can also be of value. If you cannot concentrate because of the pain, take an over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or aspirin. After the initial 48 to 72 hours of treatment with rest, ice, elevation and compression, The Stretching Institute recommends heat and massage to speed healing of muscles and tendons.
Correct the Problem
Address the causes of shin splints to avoid getting them again. If you have been running on worn out shoes, replace the shoes. Choose a comfortable, supportive pair of shoes and supplement the shoes with arch supports if you have flat feet. Perform stretching exercises to warm up and loosen muscles and tendons before impact exercise. Add strength training exercises to improve the muscles in the lower leg and prevent shin splints in the future. Repeated toe raises, in which you lift your heels and raise up on your toes before gradually lowering your heels to the ground, can help strengthen the calf muscles. Standing calf stretches or stair stretches promote more flexible lower and upper calf muscles. When you have strong, flexible muscles in the lower leg, they will be able to handle high-impact exercise without pulling on the tibia bone and causing shin splints.
