If you’re a runner in Langford and Victoria’s Westshore, you may have experienced an aching pain along the front of your lower leg. This common injury is often called shin splints. Shin splints happen when the muscles and tissues around your shin bone get irritated from overuse, leading to pain and discomfort during or after running.
Shin splints, sometimes known as runners shin splints, are often caused by running on hard surfaces, increasing your training distance too quickly, poor running biomechanics, muscle strength imbalances, or wearing improper shoes. Other factors like flat feet or weak calf muscles can also raise your risk. Knowing the signs and paying attention to pain in your lower leg can help you catch issues early.
Treatment for shin splints usually begins with rest, ice and perhaps modifications to your running schedule. In order to address the root cause of your shin splints, Physiotherapy, Chiropractic Care or Athletic Therapy for faster recovery is recommended. This is especially true if the shin splints appear to be happening primarily on one side. As we often say, your left leg has run just as far as the right leg, maybe let’s find out why the pain is mostly on one side vs the other. Learning about these steps can help you get back to running more safely and comfortably.
Understanding Shin Splints in Runners
Shin splints are a common issue for runners and for the most part relate to how we absorb and distribute the forces of contact with the ground. These are also called ground reaction forces. If these forces are larger than the body’s ability to absorb them and to recover from the stress, then something will start to break down. In the case of shin splints
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints, also called medial tibial stress syndrome and tibial periostitis, refer to pain along the shin bone (tibia). This pain is often found in the lower half of your leg.
You may feel a dull ache, tenderness, or even mild swelling along the shin. Shin splints are not a specific injury but a term for a group of symptoms linked to overuse.
Runners usually experience pain during or after exercise, especially when running or jumping. The discomfort can get worse over time if not managed.
Common Causes and Risk Factors of Runners Shin Splints
Shin splints generally require two things in order to develop:
- Leg muscles and bone tissues are overworked. This is why your Parkway physiotherapist, athletic therapist or chiropractor will look at:
• They type(s) of activities you participate in
• The types of surfaces you train on
• Your shoes
• Your running technique, including warm up and cool downs
• Your individual biomechanics and muscle imbalances. Often we can reduce forces in the lower leg by strengthening the hips and/or the ankles
And - Inadequate recovery and regeneration after the training session. If we have the time to repair then humans are remarkably adaptive and can build up strength and endurance to deal with the stressors we impose on ourselves. Here we need to look at:
• The frequency of your running/jumping/sport activities
• Your progression rate. Shin splints are sometimes as simple as you’ve done too much too quickly
• Your recovery techniques such as stretching, hydration, sleep habits and perhaps even your nutrition and use of supplements (please note there are scope of practice limitations depending on who you see at Parkway)
These two factors, if inadequately managed, lead to a breakdown of the tissues in the tibia and then you’ve got shin splints.
Recognizing Shin Splint Symptoms
There are two primary types of shin splints and we name them according to the region affected:
- Anterior Shin Splints present with an ache in the front outer shin and usually involve the tibialis anterior muscle
- Posterior Shin Splints have diffuse tenderness along the inner edge of the shin bone (tibia) and typically involve the tibialis posterior and soleus muscles.
Symptoms of shin splints include a nagging pain along your inner lower leg. The pain might feel sharp when you press on your shin or after you run.
You may also notice:
- Tenderness along the tibia – this can be diffuse (over a large section of the tibia) or point tender
- Mild swelling around the area – if you press on this area of swelling along your shin and it creates an indentation, this is called pitting edema and we want one of our Parkway therapists to see you as quickly as possible
- Dull or throbbing pain during activity
- Pain that gets worse with exercise and better after rest
If the pain remains for a long time or becomes severe, it might be a sign of a more serious condition, like a developing stress fracture. Always pay attention to ongoing or severe symptoms. Shin splints can progress to a stress fracture and in the worst case there a poorly managed stress fracture can progress to a complete fracture!
Effective Treatment for Shin Splints
Treating shin splints usually involves a mix of hands-on care, exercises, and changes to your daily routine. A great treatment action plan targets pain, helps your legs recover, and keeps the problem from returning as you move towards all your health and fitness goals.
Parkway Physiotherapy Approaches
Your physiotherapist will typically assess your walking and running patterns. They look for muscle weakness, tightness, or poor movement, especially in your calves and feet.
You may do hands-on treatments like massage or gentle stretching, trigger point release or soft tissue release techniques. Strengthening exercises for your calves, ankles, and hips are common. Your therapist might suggest balance and flexibility exercises too. Taping or orthotics can sometimes support your feet and shins and reduce stress.
Education is a big part of physiotherapy. You learn how to warm up, stretch, and cool down before and after runs. Your therapist helps you adjust how often or how far you run, so you can keep training safely.
Biomechanics: one of the most common factors we see biomechanically is that an athlete overstrides rather than taking slightly shorter and more frequent steps. Overstriding leads to a large spike in the ground reaction forces mentioned earlier. Another biomechanical contributor is the concept of over-pronation. To some extent you can adapt to any degree of pronation but often the most important factor is that you control the rate or speed of pronation. Your choice of shoes will have an impact on the amount of pronation that occurs, but strength development in your hips and ankles will determine the control of the speed of pronation.
Muscle imbalances are also common in the case of shin splints and almost always a factor when the shin splints present mostly one one side. Once again a good assessment of your individual presentation is the key. Muscles may present too short, too weak, or both. There are many reasons why either of these contributing factors might occur so please collaborate together with your therapist at Parkway to help figure each of these out.
Initial Self-Care and Pain Relief
When shin splints start, you need to manage pain and swelling right away. Rest is important. Avoid activities that make your calf pain worse. You can use ice packs for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day, to reduce swelling.
Over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may help if your doctor approves. Try gentle stretching of your calves and lower legs, but avoid any movement that causes sharp pain.
Wearing supportive, cushioned shoes is key. Compression sleeves or bandages around your shins can give relief. Avoid running on hard or uneven ground while your legs heal.
Role of Athletic Therapy in Recovery
Athletic therapists help you recover and return to activity. They teach you proper form and suggest changes to your running style. They may use manual therapy, like soft tissue massage, to reduce muscle tightness.
Specific exercise programs are created to match your needs. These programs focus on strengthening weak muscles, improving your flexibility, and correcting your foot mechanics. Athletic therapists often work closely with physiotherapists to make sure your treatment is effective.
They track your progress and help you safely return to running. If your shin pain comes from overuse injuries, they guide you through gradual training and recovery programs, reducing the risk of your symptoms coming back.
Rehabilitation and Preventing Reinjury
Rehabilitation for shin splints focuses on slow, steady progress. You start with low-impact activities such as biking or swimming, which build fitness without stressing your shins. As pain decreases, you move to walking, then slow running, while tracking your symptoms closely.
Strength training remains important, especially exercises for your calves, ankles, and core. Your therapist might show you plyometric drills and agility work as you improve. Stretch and strengthen all leg muscles, not just your shins.
To prevent reinjury, follow a running schedule that increases by no more than 10% each week. Always warm up before activity, and use good form. Well-fitted shoes and soft running surfaces are key for long-term protection. Listen to your body, act quickly at the first sign of pain, and keep your rehab routine even after the pain is gone.
Conclusion
If you are a runner in Langford and struggle with shin splints, you are not alone. Early attention to symptoms like calf pain and swelling is important to prevent further injury.
Taking steps for recovery, like rest, stretching, and following a rehabilitation plan, can help you return to your running routine safely. Consistent treatment also reduces the chance of more overuse injuries.
It’s helpful to work with professionals who understand runners’ needs. Physio support and athletic therapy can guide you with exercises and advice tailored to your goals.If you would like personal care for shin splints or advice on staying pain-free, visit us at Parkway Physiotherapy in Langford, Sooke, or Victoria, BC. You can find effective support for your recovery and future performance.
