Have you started running again, begun to get excited about starting to build healthy habits, and then found you’ve started to get a pain at the front of your leg?
This is quite a common scenario and more often than not is caused by Shin Splints. So, what should you do about it – push through or stop?
Shin splints is simply pain and discomfort on the lower 1/3 of the front inside of your leg. The pain is due to an inflammatory process caused by repetitive loading through the lower limbs.
Typically, an athlete will complain of pain at the beginning of the workout – which disappears only to return during the cool down. If the condition worsens, the athlete will experience pain throughout the entire training session and hours post the session.
Shin splints is a very general term which can be used often – however it is important to differentiate the pain at the front of the leg. This can be done by a physiotherapist who will correctly diagnose what the specific pathophysiology it could be:
You have muscles at the back, side and front of your lower legs which all contribute equally to creating optimal foot mechanics, for loading during running and jumping. If there are imbalances in strength or flexibility between these muscles this can contribute to shin splints.
More importantly, athletes with general weakness in the lower limb e.g., calf or soleus are more prone to muscle fatigue – which leads to altered running mechanics and strain on the tibia.
First, it is extremely important to see a physiotherapist who can accurately assess and screen the correct diagnosis, and cause behind the shin splints. The treatment should aim to address the training structure and modify what is necessary.
Further focus should be on any biomechanical abnormalities and provided the necessary rehab to improve the athlete’s mechanics.
Complete rest is never the answer*
Treating shin splints is always complex, and very highly individualised – which means everyone can respond differently to different treatment options and training modification. To best evaluate treatment efficacy and return to full training – the athlete and Physio should monitor the follow scores to monitor progress.
Monitor and record the following scores to assess the return ability for the athlete to return to full training:
If you would like to know more about this topic or your own recovery, we’d recommend booking a session with one of our Physio, such as Lael Kassem who wrote this article.
We’re taking the health of our clients, members and staff very seriously and our preference would be for you to call to book an appointment so that we can make sure to explain our approach to keeping you safe. You can call our bookings team to schedule a session:
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