People who complain about pain in the shins after intense running, or after doing a lot of exercise when they don’t usually exercise, may find that they have shin splints. Another word for this is Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome and it is an irritation of the Tibia, or the shin bone.
For runners, this condition comes from over-use or from running on hard surfaces. There are, of course, other reasons that a person might have shin pain; the most common other reasons include Compartment Syndrome or a Stress Fracture. These conditions require testing and a visit to a sports medicine doctor.
For Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, a few common treatments to try before seeing a doctor include: ice packs, arch supporting orthotics and shock absorbing insoles. There are a number of other ideas as well. You can use anti-inflammatory gels, wear a compression sleeve to reduce symptoms, or maintain a running log to track progression.
