Shin splints are common with walking particularly on an incline or if someone tries to do too much too soon. Precautions include gradually increasing your speed and distance over time. Also, be sure you have proper footwear that is supportive.
- If your shoes are more than 6 months old, it may be time to replace them.
- Pay attention to your stride being careful not to land too heavy and to strike with your heal and push off with your toes.
- Doing shorter intervals of walking may be helpful as will cross training with other non-weight bearing activities like biking, rowing, swimming and elliptical training.
If you continue to have pain in your shins after walking, treat them with ice for 20 minutes after walking (alternating on and off for 20 minutes) and do rest. If the pain persists, consult your doctor.
Shin splints (also called traction periostosteitis) cause pain and sometimes swelling in the shin area (the front part of the lower leg). This pain is caused by inflammation of the fibrous covering of the bone (periosteum) where muscle fibers attach to it, and are usually caused by repeated pounding (impact loading) on hard surfaces during athletic activities (i.e., running, basketball, or tennis). Overuse injuries occur when too much stress is placed on a joint or other tissue, often by "overdoing" an activity or repeating the same activity over and over, day after day.
Home treatment includes -
- Decreasing pounding activities for 2 weeks to 2 months.
- Low-impact activities, such as bicycling and swimming, can be a safe substitute for high-impact activities (like running) and won't stress the shin area in the same way as repeated pounding.
- The use of ice packs, warm soaks, a protective wrap to the shin, and anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain and swelling.
Even before any sign of shin soreness appears there are a number of simple preventative measures that can be easily implemented. Since about half of all lower leg problems are caused by biomechanics inefficiencies, it makes sense to get the right advice on footwear. Your feet are the one area you should not "skimp" on. The best advice concerning footwear, is to go and see a qualified podiatrist for a complete foot-strike, or gait analysis. They will be able to tell you if there are any concerns regarding the way your foot-strike or gait is functioning.
After your foot-strike has been analysed, have your podiatrist, or competent sports footwear sales person recommend a number of shoes that suit your requirements. Good quality footwear will go a long way in helping to prevent many lower leg problems.
Apart from good footwear, what else can you do?
- A thorough and correct warm up will help to prepare the muscles and tendons for any activity to come. Without a proper warm up the muscles and tendons will be tight and stiff. There will be limited blood flow to the lower legs, which will result in a lack of oxygen and nutrients for those muscles. Before any activity be sure to thoroughly warm up all the muscles and tendons that will be used during your sport or activity. For a detailed explanation of how, why and when to perform your warm up, visit http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/warm-up.htm.
- Flexible muscles are extremely important in the prevention of most lower leg injuries. When muscles and tendons are flexible and supple, they are able to move and perform without being over stretched. If however, your muscles and tendons are tight and stiff, it is quite easy for those muscles and tendons to be pushed beyond their natural range of movement. To keep your muscles and tendons flexible and supple, it is important to undertake a structured stretching routine.
- Strengthening and conditioning the muscles of the lower leg will also help to prevent shin splints. There are a number of specific strengthening exercises you can do for these muscles, you can find these strengthening exercises by going to http://www.runnersworld.com/the-body-shop/4-exercises-to-prevent-shin-splints.