How Runner’s Can Solve Shin Splints
Ahh, Shin Splints. The bane of many runners. As a distance runner, I've suffered from shin splints and know exactly what it's like to deal with them.
Nearly 20% of all runners are affected by shin splints. Even if you've never had them before, trust me... it's a good idea to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Fortunately for you, I will give you some strengthening exercises to solve them, or prevent shin splints from occurring in the first place.
Ready to get started? Before we get our exercises, let’s review shin splints, and why they can occur with runners.
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome, or MTSS) refer to pain along the shinbone (tibia) that often occurs after repetitive physical activity, including running. The pain is typically felt on the front or inside of the lower leg and can vary from mild discomfort to sharp pain.
During shin splints, the posterior or anterior tibialis muscles are yanking or pulling on the periosteum, outer layer of the tibia, to become inflamed and cause pain.
Symptoms typically include:
Pain along the inner part of the lower leg (shin area).
Tenderness and swelling in the shin area.
Pain that worsens with physical activity and improves with rest.
There Are Two Types of Shin Splints:
Did you know there are two different kinds of shin splints?
Before we dive into solving shin splints, we need to understand that there are two different kinds of shin splints: anterior shin splints and medial shin splints.
Anterior shin splints, located on the front of the shin, involve the tibialis anterior muscle.
Medial shin splints, located on the inside of the shin, involved the tibialis posterior muscle.
What Causes Shin Splints? A Closer Look.
For runners, shin splints are commonly caused by overuse, particularly when running intensity or mileage is increased too quickly. This can cause repetitive stress on the shinbone and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone.
However, A shin splint is not technically a muscle injury; it's a BONE injury. No need to freak out though, as scary as that sounds, shin splints are relatively straightforward to solve.
Essentially, the Tibialis anterior or tibialis posterior tendon pulls too aggressively against the tibia bone. This leads to the periosteum, the outer casing of the bone, becoming inflamed and painful. Think of this casing of the bone as the casing on a sausage. The bone itself is actually fine.
However, if ignored for months or years shin splints can turn into a stress fracture... Yikes! This excessive pull typically occurs when the muscle of the tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior are unable to handle the loads they are placed under.
Essentially, these muscles are not strong enough to handle the 200% to 250% weight force we are demanding of them and the tendon yanks and tugs on the outer layer of your tibia bone.... Many of us have realized this causes shin splint pain.
How to Solve Shin Splints
There are three main ways to improve a muscle's ability to handle loads and solve shin splints.
Improve muscle strength.
Improve the muscle tissue quality.
Improve your running and biomechanics.
Below is a video of improving each of these three areas. Note that there is a medial shin splint section to the right and an anterior shin splint section to the left.
1. Wall Shin Raises
This exercise strengthens your tibia for better knee health and shin splint prevention.
2. Ankle Inversion & Eversion Strengthening
This exercise helps stabilize your feet and arches.
3. Shin smash!
This involves two lacrosse balls duct-taped together, placing them on the ground, and rolling your shins on them.
Solving Shin Splints… For Good
Incorporating these targeted exercises into your routine can be a game-changer in both preventing and solving shin splints. By strengthening the calves, tibialis anterior, and surrounding muscles and improving flexibility and biomechanics, you can reduce strain on your shins and minimize the risk of further injury. Consistency is key—along with proper rest and recovery, these exercises will help you build a solid foundation for pain-free running and activity, getting you back to doing what you love without the discomfort.
