Shin Splints: What They Are, and How to Prevent Them

Shin splints

What’s up goal crushers! We’re back again, and this time we’re going to be talking about another common runner’s injury: shin splints. Here’s some information this minor yet painful condition that can be the bane of beginners and seasoned athletes alike.

What Are Shin Splints?

Known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), shin splints are a condition that can be caused by any number of activities. Much like Runner’s Knee – which we discussed last time – shin splints are often the result of too much activity, especially in runners just starting out. It’s characterized by pain in either the front or the back of the shins as a result of muscle inflammation or micro-tears of your lower leg muscles where they meet your lower leg bone, usually due to the kind of stress running or other athletic activities places on those muscles.

Read More: Runner’s Knee: What It Is, How to Prevent It, and What to Do If You Have It

What to Do if You Think You Have Shin Splints?

First of all, make sure you have shin splints and not something more serious. The pain of shin splints can be confused with other injuries like a stress fracture of your leg bone. If your lower leg pain feels localized and seems to feel better first thing in the morning, it might be a stress fracture and not a shin splint. The only way to make sure is to get a bone scan, so if you do suspect you have a stress fracture, go get it checked out.

Otherwise, treating a shin splint is relatively easy. Your legs can and will often heal on their own in anywhere between three to six weeks, but you’ll have to keep from re-injuring them during this time.  The most important thing is to either reduce your training or stop running altogether for as long as it takes for the pain to depart. Applying ice or cold packs to your shin can also help reduce inflammation, which will speed the healing process as well.

If you want to keep up with your exercise regimen you can cross-train in lower impact methods like swimming. Finally, if you absolutely must run, wrap your leg from below your knee to above your ankle with tape or Ace bandages to keep your muscles and tendons pressed up against your bone, as this will prevent you from damaging yourself further.

How Do I Prevent Shin Splints from Coming Back?

Easing back into running is the best way to keep your shin splints from returning. Take it slowly when you get back into it, and don’t increase your mileage more than 10 percent per week. Likewise, make sure you keep off hills and harder running surfaces to minimize shock to your legs.

Additionally, make sure your running shoes are in good shape and they’re right for your foot size and gait. Think about a second pair of shoes as well, in order to keep the stresses on your legs lower overall. Finally, make sure you stress your Achilles and your calves regularly. This will help to prevent the return of shin splints.

Read More: 8 Tips for Buying Running Shoes

Shin splints can be painful, but they’re not the end of the world. Just take it easy for a while, don’t jump back into running too fast, and you’ll be up and at it again in no time.

Have you dealt with shin splints yourself? Leave a comment below and tell us how you coped with the pain!

Until next time, keep crushing those goals!

Runner’s Knee: What It Is, How to Prevent It, and What to Do If You Have It

Runner’s Knee

What’s up, goal crushers – today we’re gonna take some time to talk about a pretty serious problem, and it’s something that you need to be aware of whether you’re going to be pounding the pavement or hitting the treadmill any time soon.

Have you ever heard of “Runner’s Knee?” If not, there’s a reason it’s named that: it’s very common among runners or anyone who engages in any type of exercise that has you getting up and bending your knees regularly.

What is Runner’s Knee

Doctors and physical therapists call Runner’s Knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, or PFPS. It’s a painful condition, caused by irritation between your kneecap (patella) and your thighbone (femur). You can get it in both knees at once or just one at a time, and believe it or not it’s much more common for women to get it than men.

What Causes Runner’s Knee?

It’s kind of hard to say what causes Runner’s Knee in the first place. There could be a biomechanical culprit – if your kneecap is naturally misplaced, it might tend to rub and scrape more than someone else’s. Conditions like flat feet, high arches, and worn knee-joint cartilage can all play a role, but so can tight calf or hamstring muscles. If you’ve got weak quads, that can do it too. Finally, the simple act of running can trigger it, so it’s not like you’ve necessarily been doing anything wrong if you do have it.

Prevention and Treatment of Runner’s Knee

Good news is there are ways to prevent runner’s knee. Making sure you have a proper pair of running shoes for your gait and your foot type. Be sure to read: 8 Tips for Buying Running Shoes. Stretch out your calves and hamstrings before a run, get your quads in shape, and be gradual when it comes to your mileage increases and hill work. Finally, running on softer surfaces will help to minimize the chances you’ll develop Runner’s Knee. Maybe that treadmill isn’t such a bad idea after all!

If you already have Runner’s Knee, you’re not out of luck, either. You do need to take action pretty quickly if you don’t want it to keep getting worse, though – cut back on your mileage as soon as you start getting those twinges. Try to minimize downward slopes, stairs, and engaging in any activities that require bending your knees excessively. This means that if your bedroom is on the second floor, you might want to sleep on the couch a few nights to avoid going up and down those stairs until your knee starts to feel better.

The good news is that that swelling and irritation should begin to go away fairly quickly, especially if you keep from straining that knee in the meantime. If the pain keeps up, make sure you go to the doctor though – you might not have Runner’s Knee but something more serious!

There you have it goal crushers – a crash course on Runner’s Knee. Ever experience it for yourself? Leave a comment below with how you dealt with it! Until next time, keep crushing those goals!