If you are one of the many individuals who enjoy regular exercise, you may experience pain in your shins. Shin splints are a common sports injury that occur in both adults and children who are actively involved in a sport or exercise. They are an injury that often can be managed at home. However, some lower leg injuries do cause similar symptoms and require intervention by your health care provider.
Physiology of Shin Splints
Shin splints are also formally known as periostitis, an inflammation of the covering of the shin bone or tibia. Often the term is universally applied to mean any pain in the lower leg. In shin splints, the periostium, the layer that covers the tibia bone, becomes inflamed for various reasons. The muscles surrounding the periostium may also swell, which adds to the discomfort of the problem. For many individuals, the cause of shin splints is an abnormal gait or pattern of moving when running or playing a sport.
Shin splints may also be caused by a small stress fracture or a condition known as compartment syndrome. If you experience pain that is not relieved by pain medication or worsens, it is important to contact your health care provider to determine the cause and which type of treatment may be required. Lack of adequate treatment can reslut in nerve damage.
Signs of Shin Splints
One of the cardinal signs of shin splints is pain in the lower leg. Some consider only pain in the front of the calf to represent shin splints, but the pain may be felt on either side of calf or even the back. The pain may begin at the start of exercise and return after the activity. It may also be worse the next day. You may experience increased pain when bending the toes or foot down. You may also experience swelling of the painful area if your muscles are also involved. Sometimes, you may even see a redness of the skin over the painful area.
If you have just begun an exercise program or sport, you may suffer pain in the lower leg that could be shin splints. Often this is caused by an overzealous training program.
Usually, the symptoms of shin splints will improve with rest, elevation of the leg and application of an ice pack and use of over-the-counter pain relief medications. If you take a few days off and return to your sport, you may be pain free. If the pain begins again, it may mean that you need more rest. If these measures do not relieve your symptoms, follow up with your health care provider because the cause of the problem could be something that requires additional treatment.
What Your Gear Reveals
Examine your running shoes or cleats. Are they worn down more on the inside than the outside? If so, you may be turning your ankle, sole of your foot or toes inward when moving. The result of this movement can put more of your body weight and stress on structures in your foot, ankle and calf than normal. This is known as an overuse injury; shin splints are a good example of the result of this problem. If your foot gear shows signs of uneven use, it is wise to see your health care provider to help determine the best plan to correct this problem.
