Shin splints

The diagnosis of shin splints differs slightly in different studies. Shin splints refer to pain either on the inside or outside edge of the shinbone, and either strain or stretching of the muscle can cause pain in the area where the muscle is attached to the bone. At the first stage, the muscle is overstrained and both metabolism and blood circulation are weakened. This causes pain in the muscle and in its surrounding tissues. If the strain continues, the periosteum (bone membrane) between the muscles and bones becomes inflamed, and this causes pain either on the inside or outside edge of the bone. The pain in the inside edge of the bone is most often caused by the irritation of the posterior calf muscle, whereas the pain in the outside edge of the bone is most often caused by the irritation of the anterior muscle. If the pain is left untreated, this may lead to stress fractures on the surface of the bone.

The underlying cause of the pain is often a poor foot alignment, because this causes the muscles to overstretch at every step. The most typical factor that increases the risk of shin splints is overpronation, which means that the ankle rotates inward. A poor foot alignment can be corrected with supporting orthotics, and this will prevent the muscles from overstretching and will relieve the pain.