Why Do My Shins Hurt After Running?

The warmer weather has succeeded in pulling you outside and you’ve jumped back into running with gusto! The only problem is your lower legs have begun throbbing in pain after running, causing you to reluctantly reconsider a trip to the local botanical garden with friends.

The pain you are feeling may be an indication of shin splints. Though they are a common occurrence, especially among athletes and fitness enthusiasts, they can be managed and prevented with proper care and attention. Let’s look at what shin splints are, what causes them, how to care for them, and most importantly, how to avoid them altogether.

What are Shin Splints?

The leg bone below the knee is the tibia and the front of it is the area we call the shin. “Shin Splints” is an umbrella term that describes various pains on and around the shin. There are two main types of shin splints- medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) with pain along the lower two-thirds of the inside of the shin, and anterior tibial stress syndrome (ATSS) where the pain is long the front outside of the shinbone. Most often when people refer to shin splints, they mean MTSS which is a common stress reaction due to overworking the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue of the lower leg. The injury is often related to activities requiring exertion and is common among hikers, runners, gymnasts, and military recruits.

Shin splints often begin as a throbbing pain accompanied by tightness, tenderness, soreness, and mild swelling on the inner edge of the shin. At first, you might only have pain at the start of physical activity which then goes away as you warm up. At this stage, your body is telling you that an injury has occurred, making it the best time to address the cause.

What Causes Shin Splints?

• A change in your exercise routine
• An increase in intensity, duration, or repetition of an activity
• Wearing ill-fitting shoes
• Activities with frequent starts and stops- like dancing or basketball
• Poor warm-up or cool-down practices
• Having low bone density (common among women)
• Lack of stretching
• Bad leg/foot/ankle alignment

Runners have a few extra considerations that can bring on shin splints such as running on hills as a new runner, the ankle joint rolling inward too far when the foot hits the ground, running on hard or uneven surfaces, or wearing worn-out shoes that have lost more than half their shock-absorbing capacity which happens after 300 miles.

People with flat feet, those who do not wear proper shoes, and have weak ankles, hips, or core muscles are more prone to developing shin splints. When muscles in your body are weak, they create more strain on the body creating additional stress in other areas.

Symptoms of Shin Splints:

• Swelling
• Pain in the muscles of one or both legs
• Pain when you press on your shins
• Sharp or dull, aching pain on the lower front of your shin
• Pain that gets worse during and after exercise
• Pain that gets better with rest

How do I Care for Shin Splints?

If you have a case of severe shin splints, your shins may hurt even while you are resting. The good news is that caring for shin splints is easy, you only need to ice several times a day, take anti-inflammatory pain relievers, and rest. They will heal on their own with proper care and rest. As you are healing you can switch to non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming or biking.

You can test your body’s readiness to resume exercise. If you can walk pain-free, have no pain when going up or down from a tip-toe position, and can do 15-20 single-leg hops with no pain, you should be able to slowly resume your regular activities after making sure you have proper footwear. If you are a runner, begin with a very gradual return to running by walking. You can walk for 5 minutes followed by a 1-minute run. Over several weeks of modifying your routine, you should be able to gradually increase the intensity or distance of your workout.

It is important to know that without proper attention a stress reaction, such as shin splints, can progress to a stress fracture and it can be difficult to tell them apart. A stress reaction occurs when a muscle and its surrounding tissue are repeatedly stressed beyond their capacity, often through repetitive use. When your body cannot heal, a partial or complete fracture due to weakening of the bone and connective tissue with an acute injury as the result. This type of fracture is more common in the legs and lower feet than in the upper body.

You might have a stress fracture if you can press your fingertips along your shin and identify a definite spot of sharp pain. Stress fractures often feel better in the morning because the bone has been able to rest all night. Shin splints, however, are often more painful in the morning because the soft tissue tightens overnight.

How Can I Avoid Shin Splints?

Although shin splints are easy to manage, they are painful to experience. The best way to deal with them is to simply not get them in the first place.

You can avoid shin splints by:

• Wearing well-fitting shoes with a shock-absorbing insole
• Incorporating cross-training and strength training into your workouts- don’t forget your core!
• Allowing yourself to recover after exercise
• Wearing proper shoes for the activity and avoiding sudden changes in shoe type
• Slowly work into a new routine, extra distance, intensity, or pace
• Running on soft, level ground
• Exercising according to your fitness level while pacing yourself accordingly
• Warming up before physical activity, and cooling down afterward
• Switching between high and low-impact activities

If you are experiencing pain in your shins, it’s good to stop and assess your activities and their intensity. Consider modifying your routine as you heal and work on building strength and endurance. If your shin splints won’t stop, visit AFC Urgent Care Tyvola Road for prompt and compassionate care.