What are the symptoms of shin splints and how are they treated?

Question:

Answers:
Signs and Symptoms:
- Pain located on the medial (inside) part of the lower leg
- Pain is often worse with running or other weight bearing exercise
- Pain may be related to training on exceptionally hard surfaces (concrete, indoor tracks) or on tight turns (indoor tracks)
- Pain may linger even after cessation of the offending activity
- May be associated with tight calf muscles

What To Do About It:
- It should be obvious that if we can decrease the pounding forces through the leg we can decrease the likelihood of injury. Proper footwear is essential. Running in worn out shoes is often the triggering incident in runners. Make sure that the shoe you are wearing suits your foot type. Excessive pronation - collapsing of the arch - is one of the causes of shin splints. Also, choose your running surface carefully. Here are a few general rules of thumb:
- The softer the better. Here is a list, from hardest to softest, of common running surfaces:
(Steel, Concrete, Asphalt, Packed Dirt, Grass, Treadmill, Bark Chips)
- One other surface to consider is running tracks. Indoor tracks are the worst surface you can run on, not only because they are hard and unforgiving, but they are also short with tight turns and this adds to the stress on the shin. People who run regularly indoors will often have problems with their inside legs.
- When recovering from shin splints, use this progression to returning to road running
- Water Running, then Cycling, then Stair Master, then Treadmill, then road running.

Here are a few other suggestions:
- Address faulty foot mechanics - sometimes orthotics are beneficial
- Check shoe mileage - you may be overdue for new shoes
- Check your training log - have you doubled your mileage, added hills too quickly, rapidly increased training?
- Ice, Ice, Ice. By far the best home treatment for shin splints
- Stretch the Soleus and Gastroc muscles
- Massage is often useful
- Taping the shins will often alleviate the pain dramatically. This is a useful strategy for aiding the healing process, but should not be relied upon as a crutch to continue training. Use it if you can't walk at work, for example, but don't use it so that you can get in another long run on injured legs.
- To tape your shin, buy some wide hockey or trainers tape, about 1½ inches wide. If your legs are hairy you'll need pre-wrap foam or shave your leg. You want to tape the lower part of your shin but not your calf muscle as this can cause cramping. Start just above the ankle bones. Your leg is shaped like a cone so you can't just wrap the tape around horizontally. You'll need to tape in an upside-down 'V' pattern. Wrap around the shin once and then tear. Repeat this for a total of 3-4 strips making sure each one overlaps. Then stand up, walk around a bit, as see if it's too tight. If it's too tight peel them off and start over. If it feels okay, repeat the process to reinforce the first layer. If your calf starts cramping or hurting, cut or tear a slit in the back of the top of the wrap to give your calf some room. Remove the tape when you're done the activity you were taping for.
- Return to running gradually. Build up slowly to pre-injury training level. Use the progression outlined above if possible, spending 1-2 weeks at each level. Example - 2 weeks water running, then 2 weeks, cycling, etc.

Other Answers:
Shin splints are microscopic fractures in the tibia and fibula(shin bones)Usually caused by working,running on concrete/pavement with poor shoes.You will have sharp pains in your shins when you apply pressure.Rest and hot compresses are about all you can do.

Shin splints feel like you pulled a muscle only they are in the front of your leg where there is no muscle really.
They hurt pretty bad. (that's why I stoped jogging)
They don't really get treated. Just be good to your legs and walk instead of running. I developed them 15 years ago while jogging every morning. I stoped running and the pain stoped. I started running again about a year ago and it came back. I learned my lesson.
Also, try drinking tonic water in the evening. about 4 ounces.

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What are the symptoms of shin splints and how are they treated?

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