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
o 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.
o The medical term for shin splints is “medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). This condition commonly causes pain along the shinbone area below the knee.
o In runners, there are many risk factors for injury including increasing total mileage rapidly, changes in running surface, and even nutrition/calorie deficits
o 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.
o 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.
