Guide to shin splints

Many of you athletes out there are absolutely riddled with shin splints. Shin splints do not affect everyone, but it may feel like it. Some may never get them. Some may always get them after anything and everything. Some might not get them until your older. Some might have had them the day they were born. Just know that when you get them, they suck. Don't get down, though. Realize that some proper care can go a long way to prevent them or kill the pain. Hopefully you find this collection helpful.

What they are...

"Shin splints, also referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome or tibial pain syndrome, is a term for pain in the front or inner part of the lower leg. Shin splints are one of the most common sports injuries and can develop in everyone from recreational runners to high school soccer, basketball and tennis players." From Exos

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/shin-splints-topic-overview

Why you get them...

(in no particular order)

• Crappy and/or worn out shoes
• Hard surfaces
• Doing too much too quick, being unprepared for physical activity, or taking too much time off between work outs.
• Lack of activity prior to subjecting yourself to physical stress. This is a lot like the one above, but this one involves time periods perhaps way earlier than your onset of shin splints. For example, I bet little kids that grow up without a PlayStation or XBox,  and that are constantly running around in bare feet outdoors rarely grow up to have shin splints.
• (I believe this is the biggest factor) Crappy running form. If you point your toe down instead of up, and/or heel strike--one usually causes the other--you will eventually get shin splints. This YouTube video has pretty good explanations of how poor form leads to bad angles of legs and feet that cause shin splints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me5NG1VV61E
• Combining several of the above is a nasty soup for some serious problems.  

What to do with them...

• See Bradley and Fritz (our training staff) both before and after practice. Before practice they will give you exercises to do to help prevent shin splints, or lessen the pain from them. After practice you begin the process of recovery
• Reddit is full of a bunch of crap, but I love it for how much good stuff can be found. Found this guide to shin splints that has a lot of good recommendations and resources
• Gizmodo's shin splint cure: I don't like the title, because it implies you can cure shin splits with one exercise, like it's a magic bullet, but I like the looks of this exercise.
• Perform your warm-ups very well
• Get new shoes if they are old
• Get inserts for your shoes-- we have this agreement with a company called Sole that allows you the athlete to buy inserts at Sole's employee discount price--65% off!!! I've bought them and they are pretty great (buy some of their socks too, while you're there. They're great). Click here. Our account code is 1021994, in case you're asked for it. (no, this is not a fundraiser for me or the team--I in no way benefit other than through your potential improved health)
• Kinesio tape for shin splits 

Coach Nack