Shin Splints

Other Names : Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)

Natural Remedies

• Take a rest. Since shin splints are almost always caused by exercising too much, the first thing to do is ramp down your workout routine to something you can accomplish without pain. Resting allows the swollen muscles along your shin bone to heal.Avoid sprinting, running, or walking too quickly while recovering from shin splints.If you still want to exercise during your recovery period, cross-train with low-impact exercises like biking or swimming.
• Ice your shins. Shin splints are most commonly caused by inflamed muscles, and icing them will ease the pain and reduce inflammation.Fill a food storage bag with ice, seal it, and wrap it in a thin towel. Apply it to your shins in 20-minute intervals.Don't apply ice directly to your body, since you could damage your skin.
• Go to the doctor. If your shin splints are making it difficult to get up and walk without pain, you should seek medical care. You may have fractures in your bones that are causing your legs to hurt. In rare cases, surgery is required to treat stress fractures and other causes of shin splints.
• Physical Therapy :
  • Stretch in the morning
  • Strengthen the shin muscles. Doing these exercises a few times a day instead of running will help heal your muscles in no time.Trace shapes or the alphabet on the floor with your toes, while in a sitting position.Walk on your heels for 30 seconds at a time and then switch to regular walking for another 30 seconds. Repeat 3 or 4 times.
  • Return to running slowly. Increase your mileage by no more than 10 percent each week. If you feel the shin splints coming back, cut back on running until the pain goes away.
• Choose the right shoes. Wear footwear that suits your sport. If you're a runner, replace your shoes about every 350 to 500 miles (560 to 800 kilometers). If your shoes are worn out, new shoes with more cushioning can help disperse stress on the shin. If you have an overpronation or oversupination, buy shoes designed to help with this problem.
• Consider arch supports. Arch supports can help prevent the pain of shin splints, especially if you have flat arches. Try orthotics. If you're prone to getting shin splints, you may want to ask your doctor to fit your feet with orthotics or arch supports. These are special shoe inserts that will change the way you strike the ground with your feet and prevent your legs from getting overstrained.
• Warm up before exercising. Make a habit of warming up before running, sprinting, or playing sports like soccer and basketball that require a lot of heaving footwork.
• Lessen the impact. Cross-train with a sport that places less impact on your shins, such as swimming, walking or biking. Remember to start new activities slowly. Increase time and intensity gradually. Work out on soft surfaces. Shin splints can be caused by running on pavement or concrete surfaces, since the shin bears the brunt of the impact.
• Add strength training to your workout. To strengthen your calf muscles, try toe raises. Stand up. Slowly rise up on your toes, then slowly lower your heels to the floor. Repeat 10 times. When this becomes easy, do the exercise holding progressively heavier weights. Leg presses and other exercises for your lower legs can be helpful, too.
• Omega-3 fatty acids : This will reduce the inflammation surrounding the shin splint.
• White willow bark is a good alternative to aspirin and ibuprofen. It will reduce the level of pain experienced and reduce the swelling.
• Boswellia produces a gum used in nutritional supplements that are commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of ailments, notes Balch. Boswellia is well known for its ability to treat inflammation throughout your body, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic agent, and healthcare practitioners such as naturopathic physicians, herbalists and Ayurvedic practitioners have historically used it to treat muscle pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, gout and lower back pain. It is, therefore, useful for shin splints.