This is a common injury in runners that affects the lower leg (tibia). This type of injury commonly results from a sudden increase in running activity, and it can be exacerbated by poor running form. Sometimes this injury can progress into a more serious stress reaction or even stress fracture.
Shin splints
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in Portland and around the country. While there are many health benefits to running, it is also associated with a relatively high risk of injury most of which are overuse.
The medical term for shin splints is “medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). This condition commonly causes pain along the shinbone area below the knee.
In runners, there are many risk factors for injury including increasing total mileage rapidly, changes in running surface, and even nutrition/calorie deficits
If you are an injured runner, it is important to be seen in a sports injury clinic by a sports medicine doctor who can perform a focused history and physical exam evaluating not just the injury site, but all related structures that make up the kinetic chain. A sports medicine specialist can effectively determine if you have shin splints or a stress fracture.
Shin splints are treated with relative rest and careful assessment and correction of the extrinsic and intrinsic running related risk factors that may be contributing to the pain.
