The most common cause of shin splints is an inflammation of the protective sheath around your shin bone, which causes pain around the inside lower part of your shins, according to Sportsinjuryclinic.net. One of the ways you can prevent the condition or ease symptoms is to ensure you wear supportive and well-cushioned shoes when running.
Causes of Shin Splints
One of the main causes of shin splints is wearing incorrect footwear when running. You need shoes that complement your foot type and running style or gait. For example, if you roll inward or outward extensively on your ankles when running, you might need a supportive shoe that restricts this movement or extra cushioning. If you suffer from shin splints, it's important to ensure your running shoes have cushioned insoles to absorb the shock or impact on your lower legs. Other common causes of shin splints are training too hard too quickly and running on hard surfaces.
Assess Your Foot Type
The easiest way to determine your foot type is to wet your feet then step on a piece of card or a colored towel that shows your footprint. If the outline of your foot shows little or no indent at your arch, you have a low foot arch. A footprint that has a gentle indent but a reasonably thick band connecting your heel to the ball of your foot is considered normal. And a footprint that has an extreme indent, with a very thin band, or none at all, connecting the heel and ball of your foot means you have high arches.
Running Shoes for Low Arches
If you have a low foot arch, you are likely to overpronate, or roll inward excessively, when you run, according to Shinsplints.co.uk. This action causes the joints in your knees and ankles to become misaligned, which means other muscles have to work harder and one of the possible results of this is shin splints. Semi-rigid orthotics, which you insert into your running shoes, may help control the movement of your feet while still providing some flexibility and absorbing shock.
Running Shoes for High Arches
If you have high foot arches, you are prone to oversupination, or rolling outward excessively when you run, according to Shinsplints.co.uk. This reduces the ability of your feet to absorb shock, placing extra pressure on your lower legs and potentially leading to shin splints. Oversupinators need running shoes that provide as much cushioning as possible, and should steer clear of shoes that are overly supportive and restrict movement. A soft orthotic can reduce the symptoms of shin splints by giving you extra cushioning and increasing shock absorption.
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