Leg Pain / Shin Splints
If your enjoyment of running, walking or active sports is affected by pain in the front of your legs, you may be suffering from shin splints.
The exact cause of shin splints may not be clear, but usually results from an injury to the tendon and surrounding soft tissue that runs down the outer front of your lower leg, below your knee.
Spotting shin splints in sportspeople and athletes
Changes in the distance you run or in the duration or intensity of your usual workout can trigger shin splints. Symptoms may start as a dull pain in a small section of your leg that comes on early in your sports session or workout, then disappears, only to reoccur near the end of your session again. You might also experience such symptoms if you have an injury to your Achilles tendon or have weak ankle muscles due to injury.
Runners who only run on hard surfaces such as roads, concrete or on uneven terrain are particularly susceptible, as are athletes and sportsmen and women at the end of a long, hard season of activity.
The one thing you must not do with shin splints (or Medial tibial stress syndrome – MTSS) is ignore them. Untreated or undiagnosed, the pain levels can increase until you can’t run or workout properly, which can set your training back considerably.
So, if you think you have the early symptoms, come to Hunt Footcare as soon as possible. Our team of experts will carefully assess you and make an accurate diagnosis, and advise on methods of treatment, including exercises, therapy, prescribe anti-inflammatory medication if needed and possibly custom-made orthotics for your sports shoes, to address any misalignments.