Shin splints can go from annoying to quite a debilitating pain. So let's understand it a bit better. We will go through what it is, causes and treatments. Shin splints are very simply, pain in the front of the lower leg, but can be caused by a variety of movement issues from above or below the point of pain.
This brings us to body mechanics. Our body is well designed to properly absorb the stressors and impact of the rigors we put on our bodies. However, if something is not quite right then compensations have to occur. Compensations can occur from decreased motion (decreased ankle dorsiflexion), muscle imbalance (overactive posterior muscles with under active anterior muscles). We can look at the whole body such as hip and pelvis control. Your glutes control your whole lower extremity so healthy glutes are literally powerful. Some athletes find their hips to rotate for various reasons. But if you are rotated, then one side of your body will hit the ground harder than the other while the other side is being stretched out in ways that may not be optimal. Foot motion such as over pronation or even your foot strike can cause shin splints. In addition, past injury to your body can stress the fascia that holds us together. Tight fascia can cause muscle pain, nerve pain and even bone irritation. Any of these altered bio mechanics can over time lead to shin splints.
When incorporating Prevention techniques, it is important to take a full body approach. Your warm up should include full body foam rolling to not just warm up the muscles, but to make the fascia mobile. Then when you are warm stretch the calves with a deep stretch off a step or a on a slant board to make sure you have full ankle motion. If you already have symptoms and have events coming up, find a specialist who can watch and video your mechanics. This is the best way to note foot strike, hip control and stride length. Good mechanics will keep the pain away. Obviously do not randomly change your mechanics, have a specialist help you.
It's always good to add a nutritional component as well.
Re-hydrate --Stay hydrated with a minimum amount of 64oz of water per day. After a hard workout or competition replace what was lost by weighing yourself before and after your workouts. One cup of water for every pound of fluid lost. If your workout was more than two hours make sure you are also adding in electrolytes.
Refuel -- Add in enough carbohydrate after each bout to ensure you have enough energy for your next workout, practice or competition. Fatigue leads to poor mechanics. Low energy availability makes it difficult for your body to repair itself in a timely manner.
Rebuild -- Proteins should be included in your post workout window to build and repair your body after each work out.
Shin splints can be a nagging debilitating injury, but it does not have to be. A little bit of prevention, good nutrition and proper mechanics and your lower legs will thank you!