What is the best way to treat shin splints?
How Are They Treated?
- Rest your body. It needs time to heal.
- Ice your shin to ease pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone.
- Use insoles or orthotics for your shoes.
- Take anti-inflammatory painkillers, if you need them.
What do shin splints look and feel like?
If you have shin splints, you might notice tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner side of your shinbone and mild swelling in your lower leg. At first, the pain might stop when you stop exercising. Eventually, however, the pain can be continuous and might progress to a stress reaction or stress fracture.
Are shin splints serious?
If you have aching legs or lower leg pain that gets worse after exercise, you may have shin splints. The pain can be sharp or dull, and it may come and go. While shin splints are not a serious medical condition, you should visit your doctor to rule out a stress fracture.
How long will shin splints last?
Know that shin splints can take 3 to 6 months to heal. Do not rush back into your sport or exercise. You could injure yourself again.
What are the types of shin splints?
Shin splints usually involve small tears in the leg muscles where they are attached to the shin bone. The two types of shin splints are: anterior shin splints, in the front portion of the tibia; and posterior shin splints, occurring on the inside of the leg along the tibia.
What are the early signs of shin splints?
If you have shin splints, you might notice tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner side of your shinbone and mild swelling in your lower leg. At first, the pain might stop when you stop exercising. Eventually, however, the pain can be continuous and might progress to a stress reaction or stress fracture.
What’s causing my shin splints?
Shin splints are an inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue believed to be caused by repetitive stress and overuse. This is usually seen when suddenly increasing your physical activity, either with a new activity or by changing something in your current program.
What do I do about shin splints?
In most cases, you can treat shin splints with simple self-care steps: Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort — but don’t give up all physical activity. While you’re healing, try low-impact exercises, such as swimming, bicycling or water running. Ice.