The problem with shin splints is, they can be caused by many different things. The most common is inflammation of the sheath surrounding the tibia caused by traction forces. You really need to find the cause but in the meantime:
You need to rest.
Ice it to reduce inflammation.
Stretch the muscles at the [front] of your lower leg.
You could wear shock absorbers in your shoes.
Heat the area before activity and/or wear support.
They can happen at any age. Shin Splints is not really a diagnosis but a general name given to pain in the front of the lower leg; its just a description of symptoms and can be caused by a number of factors.
If you suffer a lot; recurring pain, it is likely to be as a result of neglect failing to make sure the muscles of your lower leg are in peak condition before returning to activity.
If you have tight, knotted calf muscles, this will increase the stress! If you stretch regularly and pamper yourself with sports massage, the muscles become supple and can absorb this stress.
Of course, bad foot biomechanics can cause recurring pain too. If you suffer a lot, you really need to get biomechanical assessment... a podiatrist is a good first point of call if you do not have anybody like me near.
Similar pain can also be cause by posterior compartment syndrome or stress fracture of the tibia.
Is it true that Shin Splints can cause stress fractures if untreated? Courtney Dempsey from Essendon Footy Club had shin splints in the pre season and they went unnoticed or something, and 3 weeks after he tore his hammy they found out he had stress fractures in his leg or something, and they said something about shin splints.
I had really bad shin splints in the inner sides of my lower legs and they were caused by the muscles on the outer side of my lower legs being to weak and the inner side overcompensating. They caused me pain for 6 months but only 6 weeks to fix when I went to the physio. She gave me exercises which strengthened the outer muscles and I haven't had a recurrence
Arghh i have just got shin splints again and they are aggony im trying to bowl and can barley walk ,i need help because resting just aint working as it keeps coming back.
As simple as it may sound, see a doctor and I'm guessing you'll need to rest for longer. Not the my constructive advice ever given, but there isn't much else to say.
The only other thing you can do is attempt to find out if there is any underlying cause why you keep getting them.
If this is a reoccurring issue, you do need to get to the bottom of the cause. If your GP cannot help you, a podiatrist may or get hold of a sports therapist
As a start, do the soles and heels of your shoes wear down evenly?
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