5 Tips to Prevent Shin Splints on Your Next Run
You don’t really think too much about your shins until they start to hurt. And by then, you could be looking at some major downtime. If you’re a runner, one of your worst nightmares can be experiencing the pain of shin splints. Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, are the catch-all term for lower leg pain that occurs below your knee, either on the front outside part of your leg (anterior shin splints) or the inside of your leg (medial shin splints). This can occur from something as simple as increasing your mileage when you’re running or abruptly changing your running routine (for example switching from running on flat surfaces to running on hills). But what exactly is a shin splint? There are many theories of what exactly a shin splint is. These include small tears in the muscle that’s pulled off the bone; inflammation of the thin sheath that wraps around the tibia (lower leg bone); and an inflammation of the muscle.
It’s important to recognize that if shin splints go untreated they can potentially lead to stress fractures if you aren’t careful. If you sustain a stress fracture, that means you will have to take some time off of running which can be very upsetting to most runners. You can protect yourself today by taking the appropriate preventative measures to help stop shin splints all together. We mention five simple tips you can get a start on today to help prevent shin splints on your next run.
1. Strengthen Your Leg Muscles
Good leg strength will keep you running in proper form and alignment. I highly recommend exercises that target the main muscles of the leg including the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluts, calves, and feet muscles in order to ensure all muscles are strong and able to withstand the high impact of running. Seeking the help of a physical therapist is always a good option. A physical therapist will be able to perform an in-dept evaluation of your muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and range of motion in order to determine an individualized exercise program to improve your deficits and improve your running abilities. If you’re current experiencing shin splints, your physical therapist will also be able to provide one-on-one hands on physical therapy treatments that are extremely effective at reducing pain and facilitating improved mobility of the joints in order to recover and heal from injury.
2. Gradually Increase Your Mileage Over Time
Abrupt and rapid changes in training intensity could lead to pain and significant set backs in training. Overdoing your run even just one time can lead to shin splints. Steady increases in running length and time are key to avoiding shin splints. Gradual increases in your running should allow your bones and soft tissues to get used to new distances and longer run times. Any quick increase might actually result in a setback. I typically recommend to my clients to follow the “10% Rule” for progressing your training. The 10% Rule says to never exceed your weekly running mileage by more than 10% in order to prevent pain and dysfunction.
3. Try Running on Softer More Even Surfaces
If you run on concrete every day, you could switch it up and use a treadmill a couple of times per week. A treadmill or a track surface may be a better solution if you feel the pain in your shins worsening when running on a hard, concrete surface.
4. Change Your Shoes More Frequently
In general, a pair of running shoes should be replaced within about 200-400 miles. Overused shoes, especially shoes that are stretched or fit poorly can increase your chance of impact and other injuries as well.
5. Try Adding an Arch Support to Your Shoes
By “lifting” the arch with insoles, you take stress off of your lower legs. You don’t need to use these forever if you are consistent with a lower body strengthening program (which you should be). Think of insoles like a splint for your foot and remove them once you’re fully recovered. Try different options available at running specialty stores and see if it makes a difference for you.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Garrett Desrosiers PT, DPT
Garrett is the CEO and Co-Owner of ProResults Physical Therapy Inc. in San Marcos, CA (North San Diego County). Garrett has been helping on-the-go active adults and athletes across the south western United States return to a pain-free active lifestyle without medications, injections, surgery or making unnecessary trips to the physician’s office since 2015. He graduated in 2013 with his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology then went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Husson University in 2015. After working for three years in multiple fast paced outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinics, Garrett quickly realized he was not able to provide the elite quality care he knew his clients deserved. Garrett felt clients were more than just a number or diagnosis and that in order to provide the time, empathy, passion, and high-quality treatment they deserved, starting his own private practice was the only option. Garrett is committed to helping every client make the best decision in regard to their health. His unique, personalized, eclectic, multifaceted approach takes those individuals who have decreased their activities or stopped being active all together to a real solution.