Shin Splints: Causes & Care

Shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome are a very common injury that is encountered by athletes. They can occur in any sports that involve running or jumping such as cross country, distance running, soccer, dancing and many others. The causes of pain in the lower leg are usually divided into three main categories; those that are due to overuse, those that are the result of training errors and those that occur because of a person’s natural biomechanics. When an athlete suffers from pain in the lower leg that is caused by overuse, it is due to repetitive stress that the bone and surrounding soft tissue has been subjected to. One of the most common reasons for overuse is the sudden increase in mileage of an athlete’s training. For example, an athlete who suddenly increases their weekly mileage by hundreds of miles in a matter of weeks will place excessive stress on their shins leading to pain and potentially causing shin splints.

One of the primary reasons for shin splints is overuse, or too much repetition of activity, and the majority of these cases are a result of athletes rapidly increasing the frequency or volume of their physical activity. An example would be a long distance runner who instantly increases their weekly mileage from 20 to 40 miles, creating excessive stress upon the shin bones, and resulting in pain in the lower leg. As mentioned above, training errors play a significant role in the development of shin splints, including improper athletic shoes for particular activities, in addition to running on improper surfaces such as hard concrete. Athletes that are accustomed to running on rubber track surfaces may be more susceptible to developing shin splints when training on hard exterior surfaces. In addition to training errors, there are a number of biomechanical factors that may put an athlete at a greater risk for developing shin splints. Those with flat feet or other abnormalities of the foot may produce abnormal stress upon their lower legs as they perform various physical actions, placing excessive stress on the area of the tibia where the muscle attaches, causing pain and soreness in the affected leg (Ciszewski et al., 2025).

Recognizing the symptoms of Shin Splints is very important to enable early treatment and management of the condition in order to prevent further damage. For most athletes the pain is felt on the inner side of the lower leg and can be described as a sharp or dull ache. The pain is usually worse during activity and can even stop the athlete from completing a workout. In severe cases the pain can even be present all the time and be worse when the athlete is at rest. Other symptoms include mild swelling and localized pain along the tibia or shin bone. (Wilder & Sethi, 2004)

Shin splints are a problem for many athletes. They cause various kinds of discomfort that affect athletes greatly. They cause pain on the surface of the tibia (the lower leg) which can be quite sharp at times and aching at others. There is also considerable swelling around the area and the athletes can also feel that the shin is tender to touch (Bhusari & Deshmukh, 2023). The biggest symptom of all is the pain. The pain increases with activity. Some athletes even have to stop during their training or competition because of too much pain to continue.

Shin splints can have a big impact on an athlete’s overall performance. If a shin splint is left untreated, it can continue to cause pain while participating in physical activity. Even physical activity that does not typically cause pain can become painful if the athlete has developed a shin splint. As a result, many athletes are forced to miss practice and competitions in order to allow their injury to heal. In severe cases, the injury could even get worse if the athlete continues to try to perform physical activity while in pain. This could extend the amount of time the athlete is required to spend recovering from the injury (Guo et al., 2022).

Proper preparation for exercise before training, such as prior warm up activity (in addition to dynamic stretching within warm up), is the best protection against shin splints and a number of other injuries that may be experienced by athletes during their training (Ellis, 2013). Indeed, research indicates that participation in warm up activity can increase performance during subsequent physical activity as well as allow the athlete to function at a higher level of exercise (Castro, et al., 2009). Therefore, as already noted, prior warm up activity before each training session, should form an essential part of any athlete’s training regime.

Proper footwear can help prevent many cases of shin splints. There are many types of athletic shoes that are designed to provide extra support and cushioning to help absorb shock during exercise. When purchasing athletic shoes, it is very important that you select the correct style for your particular sport as well as fit them properly to your foot. Remember to change your athletic shoes frequently as worn out shoes can cause many different types of injuries.

Increase the intensity and volume of your training gradually and properly, do not try to do to much too quickly. Gradually increasing the amount of training that you do will allow your muscles and other tissues to adapt to the increased stress placed upon them and thus reduce the risk of overuse injuries such as shin splints. Using a training plan that includes rest days and cross training will also aid in preventing shin splints.

Rest is also key to injury prevention. It is extremely important for athletes to take rest days and allow their bodies to completely recover between training sessions. If a shin splits pain occurs during training, it is advised that the athlete ceases all activity and allows their injury to fully recover before returning to training. If the athlete continues to train with shin splits pain, the risk of more serious injury increases and the amount of time needed for recovery will increase dramatically.

For shin splints that have already affected an athlete, the best way to get back to activity would be to seek physical therapy. A very experienced therapist would work with the athlete to make up an amount of customized exercises that target the athlete’s specific weak points and help strengthen the correct leg muscles, correcting any inappropriate biomechanics that have previously caused shin splints.

In addition to physical therapy, kinesiology taping also is a useful tool in treating shin splints. Kinesiology taping is a specialized tape which is applied to the skin in order to support the muscles and joints. The tape does not restrict the movement of the affected area and, in most cases, is not even felt by the individual. There are many different uses for kinesiology taping, but in the case of shin splints the tape is applied to the lower leg in order to reduce pain and swelling. The tape also promotes circulation in the affected area, which is essential to healing. This type of tape is very commonly used among athletes, because it allows the individual to continue to train while the affected area is healing.

As shin splints are an ever-increasing problem in sports today, many athletes have started to turn to ancient healing techniques such as Acupuncture for relief. Although not proven to work in every case, many people report being able to train whilst experiencing less pain with the aid of Acupuncture. The process of Acupuncture is very intricate as tiny, thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body. These points help to alleviate pain, which can aid in recovery from shin splints as well as improving blood flow to the affected area, thus reducing recovery time between sessions of training.

It is essential to familiarize yourself with the most effective methods of prevention, and the variety of treatment options available to individuals with shin splints. By implementing measures of prevention into an athlete’s training, such as purchasing proper training shoes, gradually increasing the intensity of training, and adequate amounts of rest, the risk of acquiring shin splints can be decreased dramatically. Once an athlete recognizes the early stages of shin splints, the most effective methods of treatment can be used to enable individuals to return to their active lifestyle in a timely manner.

Citations:

Bhusari, N. and Deshmukh, M., 2023. Shin splint: a review. Cureus, 15(1). https://www.cureus.com/articles/121305-shin-splint-a-review.pdf

Van Weezep, J. and Kim, A.R., 2024. What is the best treatment for shin splints?. Evidence-Based Practice, 27(7), pp.12-13. https://journals.lww.com/ebp/fulltext/2024/07000/what_is_the_best_treatment_for_shin_splints_.10.aspx

Ciszewski, P., Drelichowska, A. and Azierski, M., 2025. Shin Splints-a hidden epidemic among runners and athletes: a review of the current state of knowledge. Medical Science, 29, p.e79ms3571. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michal-Azierski/publication/393433870_Shin_Splints_-_a_hidden_epidemic_among_runners_and_athletes_a_review_of_the_current_state_of_knowledge/links/686924f5e9b6c13c89e6e224/Shin-Splints-a-hidden-epidemic-among-runners-and-athletes-a-review-of-the-current-state-of-knowledge.pdf

Guo, S., Liu, P., Feng, B., Xu, Y. and Wang, Y., 2022. Efficacy of kinesiology taping on the management of shin splints: a systematic review. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 50(5), pp.369-377. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913847.2021.1949253

Wilder, R.P. and Sethi, S., 2004. Overuse injuries: tendinopathies, stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and shin splints. Clinics in sports medicine, 23(1), pp.55-81. https://www.sportsmed.theclinics.com/article/S0278-5919(03)00085-1/abstract

Ellis, J., 2013. Running Injury-Free: How to Prevent, Treat, and Recover From Runner’s Knee, Shin Splints, Sore Feet and Every Other Ache and Pain. Rodale Books. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=mUtdAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Effective+treatments+for+shin+splints+recovery&ots=RmEdtB24tb&sig=Sbfb47ZwcHbUdF4cAAEBXP1Tfko

Johnston, E., Flynn, T., Bean, M., Breton, M., Scherer, M., Dreitzler, G. and Thomas, D., 2006. A randomized controlled trial of a leg orthosis versus traditional treatment for soldiers with shin splints: a pilot study. Military medicine, 171(1), pp.40-44. https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article-abstract/171/1/40/4647693

Deshmukh Jr, N.S., Phansopkar, P., Wanjari, M.B., Deshmukh, N.S. and Wanjari, M., 2022. A novel physical therapy approach in pain management and enhancement of performance in shin splints athletes: A case report. Cureus, 14(7). https://www.cureus.com/articles/104020-a-novel-physical-therapy-approach-in-pain-management-and-enhancement-of-performance-in-shin-splints-athletes-a-case-report.pdf

Nikita, B. and Mitushi, D., 2023. Shin splint: a review. Cureus, 15(1). https://search.proquest.com/openview/4fa4dea78cb5668efd30d4fc3532b92c/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2045583

Callison, M., 2002. Acupuncture & tibial stress syndrome (shin splints). The Journal of Chinese Medicine, (70), pp.24-28. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA154006811&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=01438042&p=HRCA&sw=w