How To Avoid Shin Splints

How To Avoid Shin Splints
By Joel Bergeron, MS, CSCS*D, ASCM HFS, USATF L2 Jumps/Sprints/ITS
Volume 1, Edition 2, May 2014
Welcome
to
Granite
State
Sports
Science!
This
month
we
explore
one
of
the
most
common,
preventable
injuries
out
there:
shin
splints.
Many
athletes
who
decide
to
start
working
out
after
a
long
stretch
off
are
at
high
risk
for
this
injury.
Shin
splints
are
a
debilitating,
painful
experience
generally
found
on
the
front
of
the
lower
leg.
It
can
literally
make
walking
impossible
‐
forget
about
your
performance!
We’re
going
to
examine
what
exactly
“shin
splints”
are,
how
to
work
on
preventing
them,
and
how
to
heal
the
injury.
Shin
splints
are
called
medial
tibial
stress
syndrome
(MTSS).
The
name
refers
to
the
location
and
tissues/bones
that
are
affected.
Basically
this
is
a
fancy
way
of
saying,
“stress
on
the
shins.”
They
are
characterized
by
pain
ranging
from
sharp
to
dull
discomfort
that
may
radiate
from
the
shin
into
the
calve,
Achilles
tendon
area,
knees,
and
ankles.
They
can
appear
suddenly
or
gradually
worsen,
and
may
go
away
quickly
or
come
back
quickly.
The
cause
of
shin
splints
is
typically
due
to
one
of
two
factors.
Either
1)
overtraining,
which
is
typified
by
doing
too
much,
too
fast
–
particularly
incorrect
prescription
of
activities
such
as
plyometrics
(jump
training),
long
running,
or
just
an
unreasonable
abrupt
increase
in
the
volume
of
activity,
or
2)
biomechanical
errors
in
running/sprint
mechanics.
Sometimes
people
will
say
they
have
“flat
feet.”
While
there
may
be
some
people
out
there
with
“flatter”
feet
than
others,
the
human
body
does
not
jump
evolutionary
cycles
very
frequently,
and
chances
are
your
gait
(walking,
jogging,
sprinting)
mechanics
are
probably
the
true
culprit.
From
a
physiologic
standpoint,
shin
splints
are
extreme
soreness
and
pain
of
the
muscles
of
the
front
of
the
shin
(particularly
the
anterior
tibialis
and
peroneus
tertius).
These
muscles
are
responsible
for
keeping
your
foot
“in
check”
every
time
it
strikes
the
ground.
When
your
heel
lands
these
muscles
contract
to
slow
down
the
front
of
your
foot
from
smacking
the
ground.
Just
as
if
you
did
too
many
sit‐ups
at
once,
when
you
overload
these
muscles
they
become
sore.
The
only
difference
is
we
have
to
walk
everywhere
we
go.
So,
if
you
overwork
these
muscles,
you
never
really
give
them
time
to
rest
if
you
are
constantly
using
them
while
they
are
sore.
So
how
do
we
avoid
shin
splints?
The
best
and
easiest
way
is
to
prevent
having
them
in
the
first
place.
The
first
thing
is
to
begin
by
easing
into
workouts.
I
generally
see
two
different
populations
who
have
shin
splints.
Young
people
who
are
going
through
puberty
and
have
physically
immature
bodies,
and
adults
who
have
not
been
training
in
a
sensible
manner.
Here
are
a
few
tips
for
avoiding
shin
splints:
1. Ease
into
workouts.
If
you
haven’t
been
training
with
any
level
of
consistency
or
intensity,
don’t
try
to
go
out
there
on
day
#1
and
win
a
championship.
Think
of
it
this
way,
if
your
body
is
accustomed
to
not
working
out,
increasing
your
activity
level
to
3‐5
days
during
week
one
is
a
huge
shock
to
the
system.
Instead,
slowly
increase
your
training
days.
For
instance,
week
1,
do
2‐3
days
spread
apart.
Week
2,
do
3‐4
days,
week
3,
do
4‐5
days,
etc.
This
is
a
gradual
progression,
which
allows
for
adequate
recovery
time.
2. Give
yourself
rest.
The
easiest
way
to
cause
shin
splints
is
to
progress
too
fast,
or
never
allow
time
for
the
body
to
recuperate
after
a
hard
workout.
Remember,
you
can’t
improve
if
you
never
give
your
body
time
to
adapt
to
the
training
stress
you
were
just
exposed
to.
Alternate
hard
and
easy
or
moderate
workouts.
If
Monday
is
a
hard
workout,
Tuesday
should
not
be
hard,
Wednesday
might
be
moderate,
Thursday
is
hard
again,
etc.
You
should
also
consider
how
long
you’ve
been
training
for
–
if
you’ve
worked
out
for
4
weeks,
generally
the
5th
week
should
be
very
low
or
filled
with
rest.
3. Buy
new
shoes.
It
constantly
amazes
me
what
people
wear
for
footwear
and
how
long
they’ve
been
wearing
it.
You
need
to
make
sure
your
shoe
is
the
right
size,
not
too
big,
not
too
small.
Also
if
the
treads
are
substantially
worn
down,
pick
yourself
up
a
new
pair.
Most
shoes
are
not
rated
to
last
more
than
6
months
of
regular
exercise,
if
that.
I
see
people
wearing
shoes
that
are
clearly
past
their
service
life,
yet
they
wonder
why
they
have
lower
leg
and
back
pain.
Remember,
your
foot
is
where
all
the
shock
of
impact
is
absorbed.
If
you
have
worn‐out
shoes,
your
body
now
must
sustain
that
impact.
4. Warm‐Up
Smart.
Remember
a
good
warm‐up
involves
an
“exercise
induced
sweat.”
This
means
you
are
sweating
as
a
result
of
moving
around,
rather
than
sweating
due
to
environmental
factors,
such
as
heat.
Also
make
sure
your
warm‐up
involves
simple
ankle
rolls
and
definitely
lower
body
exercises.
Just
jogging
or
cycling
is
not
that
effective.
Perform
activities
that
involve
a
variety
of
movements
rather
than
just
a
repetitive
motion
(such
as
jogging).
5. Work
on
flexibility.
Lower
body
flexibility
is
very
important
and
very
simple
to
do.
Calf,
ankle,
thigh,
and
hamstring
stretches
go
a
long
way
in
helping
the
leg
function
properly.
6. Run
with
good
posture.
A
frequent
cause
of
“flat
feet”
is
running
with
bad
posture.
Good
posture
is
characterized
by
an
upright
position,
good
arm
mechanics,
and
lifting
the
legs.
Bad
posture
is
just
the
opposite.
I
know
that
they
don’t
give
out
degrees
in
biomechanics
at
the
grocery
store,
so
if
you
don’t
know
how
to
analyze
body
mechanics,
consult
the
appropriate
professional,
such
as
a
qualified
strength
and
conditioning
coach
with
demonstrated
and
legitimate
experience.
7. Roll
your
foot
with
a
golf
ball.
Although
shin
splints
are
caused
by
lower
leg
overtraining
and
imbalances,
the
foot
contributes
to
the
problem
as
well.
Take
a
golf
ball
and
put
your
foot
(with
no
shoe)
on
it.
Roll
up
and
down,
left
to
right,
etc.
This
will
improve
your
foot
health
and
reduce
stress
at
the
ankle
and
consequently
the
lower
leg.
8. Avoid
hard
surfaces.
Running
on
concrete,
asphalt,
or
tile
flooring
for
long
periods
of
time
are
a
great
way
to
destroy
your
shins.
Where
possible,
choose
suspended
wood
floors
(aka
gymnasiums),
composite
turf,
grass,
or
trails.
The
ground
absorbs
much
of
the
impact
and
your
body
and
joints
take
less
abuse.
If
you
have
shin
splints,
here
are
some
things
to
help
get
rid
of
them:
1. Rest.
This
is
the
most
important
way
to
get
rid
of
them.
This
doesn’t
mean
you
have
to
stop,
but
it
does
mean
you
may
need
to
ride
a
bicycle
to
maintain
your
conditioning
while
they
go
away.
Riding
a
bicycle
is
non
weight
bearing
and
allows
the
tissue
to
work
but
under
a
substantially
less
amount
of
impact
(little
to
none).
2. Ice.
Placing
ice
on
the
injured
tissue
promotes
blood
flow
and
speeds
the
healing
process.
It
also
helps
reduce
swelling
which
is
what
triggers
the
pain
response.
3. Compression.
Wrapping
your
shins
physically
compresses
the
tissue
and
helps
reduce
swelling.
It
also
provides
some
support
to
reduce
load
on
the
affected
tissue.
4. Get
Help.
Go
see
a
physical
therapist
or
athletic
trainer
(not
a
personal
trainer).
Physicians
will
rarely
tell
you
do
anything
other
than
take
pills
and
stop.
This
is
NOT
the
best
way
of
getting
rid
of
shin
splints.
You
need
to
do
rehabilitation
and
that
is
what
a
physical
therapist
or
athletic
trainer
is
for.
Strength
and
conditioning
coaches
can
also
help
you
with
this
–
but
make
sure
you
visit
a
qualified
professional
–
not
just
a
person
who’s
given
him/herself
a
title!
The
take
home
message
is
that
you
don’t
have
to
get
shin
splints
if
you
train
smart.
Easing
into
workouts
in
a
sensible
manner,
giving
your
body
rest
when
needed,
and
working
on
flexibility
all
help
avoid
this
issue.
The
best
approach
is
to
avoid
the
problem
in
the
first
place
through
preventative
actions.
If
shin
splints
do
occur,
it’s
important
to
recognize
the
signs
and
symptoms
quickly
and
take
corrective
actions.
Using
this
approach
will
help
you
train
long
and
have
success
in
your
performances!
What’s
the
difference
between
a
champion
and
2nd
place?
Usually,
not
much.
The
difference
lies
in
the
training
that
leads
up
to
competition.
The
goal
of
GSSS
is
to
provide
scientifically
based,
practical
information
for
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parents,
and
athletes,
in
the
hopes
of
enhancing
athletic
performance
and
reducing
the
chance
of
injury
through
professional
strength
&
conditioning
practices
by
legitimate,
qualified
coaching
(involving
a
college
degree
in
exercise
physiology,
kinesiology,
or
biomechanics,
AND
professional
coursework
–
NOT
just
a
weekend
certification
as
seen
by
95%
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‘trainers’).
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About the Author
Bergeron, a native of Keene, NH, is the former NH state director for the National Strength &
Conditioning Association and an active local writer. He previously served as the strength &
conditioning coordinator for the Manchester Wolves, a professional arena2 football team, a
NCAA Division I track coach and university instructor at Florida International University,
S&C coordinator for SNHU women’s basketball, S&C coordinator for the New Hampton
School Men’s Hockey Team, and a member of the NH Governors Council for Physical
Fitness & Health. He holds a masters degree in exercise and sport science with a
concentration in strength and conditioning and seven certifications including the NSCA
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Distinction, ACSM Health Fitness
Specialist, USATF Level 1 coach, Level 1 instructor (to train other coaches), Level 2 Jumps,
Level 2, sprints, and formerly NSPA Certified Conditioning Specialist. He is a sought-after
national clinician who has presented at and directed more than 100 different clinics, events,
and conferences at the local, state, regional, national, and international level, develops educational DVDs and distance
learning courses for continuing education, and is a published writer for a variety of coaching magazines and books.
Bergeron is also a practicing regional track and field athlete in the shot put and discus.
The Following Organizations Support The Growth Of New Hampshire Athletics
Through Distribution of This Free E-Newsletter To Provide Sport Science
Education To Their Constituents:
Interested In helping to educate and improve our great state? Become a distributor of GSSS
and help New Hampshire reduce injuries and enhance performance. Please contact the
author, Joel Bergeron, at [email protected] or 603-627-7500 to help distribute GSSS.
APPROPRIATE FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL SKILL
LEVELS, STARTING AT AGE 9.
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