Treating Shin Splints

Searching for information on treating shin splints? Read on to find out how to prevent and treat shin splints with simple exercises.

For athletes, especially runners, the most common injuries that are experienced are shin splints. The rigorous workouts and training sessions go smoothly for few weeks, but longer durations of challenging yourself, wanting to push your stamina can result in dull ache on the inside and lower portion of your shin. The discomfort might go away when you warm up, but later on, sometimes the very next day, the pain could return. The reason is that the tibialis anterior muscle and tendon get overextended while running. Runners, who tend to arch their feet while practice, have tight calf muscles, or weak ankle muscles suffer from shin splints.

Although, these are very common concerns in the life of a runner, shin splint treatment is available. You don't have to go through extreme surgeries or any medications for treating shin splints. There are specific techniques of preventing and treating shin splints, so that they don't occur in the future. The most common methods for treating shin splints are strengthening and stretching exercises for your ankles and calf muscles. Read more on shin splints symptoms.

Shin Splints Exercises

Let's say you started exercising, probably running outdoors or on a treadmill. Instead of warming up first, you began the exercise and kept on running at the same speed for a long time. You are practically begging to get your shin injured. The best way of treating shin splints is to include enough rest to your ankle and calf muscles, getting a massage, placing an ice pack, and performing some specific strengthening and stretching exercises. Although, there are no quick remedies for shin splints and the healing process takes some weeks, take a look at some stretches for shin splints in order to heal the inflamed tissue.

Calf Muscle Stretch

To begin the exercises for shin splint, lean your body against the wall. Place your right leg forward and keep that knee bent. Keep the left leg straight and heel strong on the floor.

As you keep your back straight, lean forward from your hips till you can feel the stretch in the calf. Make sure that you don't raise your left heel off the floor.

To increase the stretch, put your left leg's toe on a step and then lean forward. This action will bend the right knee more and make the stretch intense.

Shin Splint Stretch - Standing

Stand next to a handrail and find your balance. Place the foot that needs to be stretched behind the other one and rest that toe on the ground.

Keeping your balance, bring your stretched leg forward till you sense the pull on the lower leg muscle. While doing this, you might have to bend both the knees for the movement to go as smoothly as possible.

Once you are done with the first leg, release and come back to starting position. Repeat on the other leg.

Shin Splint Stretch - Sitting

Sit in a chair with both your legs directly behind it. Stretch them as far away as they can go.

Keep your back straight as you try to point your toes backwards. Notice how you can feel the pull. This is so because the muscles are being targeted.

Relax the toes and bring your legs back to starting position. Repeat as many times as you can, but don't overdo it.

Instead of worrying about treating shin splints, why not use some precautionary methods:

How to Avoid Shin Splints

How to Prevent Shin Splints

Talk to your doctor, personal trainer, or coach to explain to you what else can be done besides treating shin splints with exercises. You probably have to stop running immediately and hold off on it for quite some time, till the muscle is healed. Listen to your doctor/coach for their expert advices and follow them religiously.