Shinsplints are a tricky injury to discuss. There’s no clear cure and every runner will respond differently to various treatment options. I’m even hesitant to call shinsplints an “injury” – sore shins simply don’t qualify in my book. Shinsplints are more like persistent soreness. Since they can often significantly limit your training, I want to discuss how to get rid of shinsplints and also how to prevent them before you have sore shins.
Sore Shins Can Leave You at the Back of the Pack
Most of the time, shinsplints affect new runners or those who don’t run consistently. If you’re just starting up or find yourself taking long breaks in between training blocks, you’re at an increased risk for this annoying little injury.
Shinsplints are essentially a nagging soreness caused by too much stress to the shin muscles. Runners report pain on both the anterior and interior of the tibia – basically, both sides of the shin bone. I had severe shinsplints when I first started running. Curiously, I only had sore shins when I was running a fast workout on the track.
A great definition and list of shinsplints causes can be found on Wikipedia. I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here.
What I want to do is take a running-specific look at how to get rid of shinsplints through changes in your training. Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to your susceptibility to shinsplints and other injuries.
Shinsplints Treatment Plan
There are several reasons why you may be getting shinsplints so one of these treatment options may not work for you. My recommendation is to experiment with all of these suggestions and if you can, implement them all. They’re good for shinsplint treatment, prevention, and work well for other injuries too. They have helped me get rid of shinsplints in the past and I hope they work for you too.
- Introduce more variety in your program. Rotate 2-3 pairs of shoes, run on varied terrain like trails and hills, and don’t run the same speed every day. Constantly challenge your body.
- Avoid the “three too’s” – too much, too soon, too fast. Sudden increases in volume or intensity can over-stress your shins making you more susceptible to sore shins.
- Don’t tie your shoes so tight. Doing so can restrict the movement of your shin muscles and tendons where they attach to your ankle.
- Don’t run cold. Warm-up before you head out the door with a dynamic flexibility routine. Your muscles work better when they are warm and primed to work.
- Consistency is king. If you regularly take significant breaks from running then your body is not being trained to adapt to the stress of running. Be more consistent with your training and your body won’t rebel as frequently.
- Strengthen your lower legs with barefoot strides, slow barefoot running (not too much!) on a soft surface, and avoiding shoes with a very high heel.
- Ice your shins. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m astounded by the number of people who disregard the power of ice. Use a paper cup and peel the paper back at the top to expose about an inch of ice. Massage your shin muscles for 10-20 minutes. Also, ice-baths are my favorite. Just make sure to use enough ice.
- Correct your form by having a high stride-rate, landing on your mid-foot underneath your hips, and keeping your back tall as you run. If you are going to choose only one suggestion here, pick this one.
- Finally, have patience. Sometimes sore shins just happen and unless the pain is severe or sharp, you can train through it. Stay tough.
Like I mentioned, some of these treatment plans may not work for you. Treating injuries, and also running, is largely a trial and error game. The more options you experiment with, the more success you’ll experience.
I’ve found what works for me: trails, increasing my cadence, running more hills, and consistency with core and other strength work. I haven’t been injured in about 15 months I’m still going strong. I’ve learned when to take it easy and when to run hard. It took me 11 years, but I guess I’m a slow learner.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to shinsplints, so remember #8 above. Consistently practice these suggestions, be patient, and shinsplints will soon be a distant memory. One warning: if your shin pain is severe, sharp, or lasts for longer than a month, you should get it checked out by a professional. You could have compartment syndrome; not something you want to run through.
Who struggles with sore shins? Did I leave out one of your favorite treatment or prevention tips? Let me know in the comments. If you liked this article, Stumble it!
Photo Credit: ReneSSimilar Posts:
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post. I hadn’t thought about the variety of shoes, but I’ve personally found that standing up tall, engaging my lower core and ensuring my pelvis is level will improve my stride quality and keep my mid foot striking on more consistently.
Thanks Ian. I think having good form is one of the best ways to reduce shinsplints – and most other injuries! Thanks for the comment.
This was very helpful. I’m still working on some strength training but it helps to know that is okay to keep running through the discomfort. I’m kind of to a place where if I can find an excuse I will and that takes that one away from me.
Thanks Nichol, glad to see you here at Strength Running. No excuses, play like a champion!
Great article. Thanks! I used to get shinsplints from walking. When I started running, they seemed to get better, but returned before too long. One thing that I have done is wrap a resistance band around my flexed foot and pull towards my body. Then I point and flex my foot. I usually do 3 reps of 10 on each leg. I have been doing it at night before bed. It has made a huge difference for me over the long run.
That’s another good strengthening exercise you can do to strengthen your shins. Side benefit: it also helps your ankles and surrounding musculature develop strength. Glad to see you found something that worked!
I had wicked shin splints for a couple years, then started some serious stadium training. One of the drills involved running backwards uphill on a spiraling ramp. Splints were gone within a week. Try it out!
Wow that sounds intense! Backwards running has a host of benefits. I should write about that…
Chi Running form is good for this, due to the forward leaning (from the ankle), the midfoot strike, and running with the muscles that control flexion and extension (shin and calf) relaxed. Several other running forms have a lot of characteristics in common with Chi Running and are probably as good, but the learning to run with relaxed muscles in the lower leg is key to reducing shin soreness in my experience.