What are shin splints?
Shin splints are pain along the inner edge of the shin bone, in the lower half of the leg. The muscles and the thin covering of the bone are irritated by repeated pounding that they have not yet built up to.
The story is familiar. You start or increase running, jumping or brisk walking, and the shin begins to ache.
What does it feel like?
It is a dull ache or tenderness along a stretch of the inner shin, not a single point. It may come on a few minutes into a run, ease as you warm up, and return when you stop and cool down.
In bad spells the pain stays after exercise, and pressing along the shin is sore. Running downhill, jumping and playing on hard ground can make it worse.
If you can place a fingertip on one small spot that hurts, and it hurts even when you walk, that may be a different problem. The doctor section below covers it.
Why does it happen in Ipoh?
The main cause is doing too much, too soon. That fits new starters: someone joins a running group, signs up for a fun run, or restarts after a long break, and ramps up within weeks.
Local conditions add to it. Paths around Polo Ground and the roads of the housing estates are hard, and a hot morning makes people cut short their warm-up. Students who return to school sports after a holiday face the same sudden jump.
Badminton, futsal and brisk hill walking at Bukit Kledang also load the shin, especially in worn-out shoes or when the calf and foot are weak.
What do we check at the first visit?
We ask about your weekly training, the surfaces, the shoes and when the pain started. Then we examine the shin and the muscles that work with it.
- Where the pain lies, and whether it spreads or sits at a single point.
- Strength and endurance of the calf, using repeated heel raises.
- Foot and ankle movement, and the shape of the arch.
- Hip and thigh strength, which affect how you land.
- How you walk and, if you wish, how you run.
- Your shoes and the routes you run.
If the findings point to a stress fracture or a circulation or nerve problem, we say so and help you see a doctor.
How do we treat shin splints?
We reduce what irritates the shin and rebuild the leg’s ability to take load. Complete rest for weeks may only make the return harder.
A plan can follow these steps.
- Cut the running volume and the hard surfaces until the pain is mild, using walking, cycling or swimming to stay fit.
- Strengthen the calf with slow heel raises, then add the foot and ankle muscles.
- Build hip and thigh strength so each landing is better controlled.
- Return to running in short, easy sessions on softer ground, alternating run and walk.
- Increase the load gradually, and stop at the first sign of sharp pain.
Recovery varies, and we review it at every visit. Our guides to returning to running and running in the Ipoh heat can help you plan the build-up.
What can I do this week?
Small changes calm the shin while you recover.
- Replace running with brisk walking on flat ground, or an exercise bike, for now.
- Run on grass or a softer track instead of tarmac when you restart.
- Do slow calf raises, two sets, holding the wall.
- Check the wear on your shoes, and use a pair that still has a firm sole.
- Warm up with a walk, even when the morning is already hot.
If the pain grows during an exercise, stop and tell your physiotherapist.
When should I see a doctor first?
See a doctor if you can find a small, very tender spot on the shin bone, or if the pain continues when you walk or at rest. Go too if the pain wakes you at night, or the shin is swollen, red or hot.
Go to the emergency department if the leg becomes numb, pale or cold, or the calf is swollen and painful. Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Fatimah Hospital and Pantai Hospital Ipoh can see you for these.
How do home sessions in Ipoh work?
A physiotherapist comes to your house, tests the strength of your calves, feet and hips, and builds a plan that fits your running week. Exercises need a wall, a step and a mat.
Visits are available across Ipoh now, and our Canning Garden centre is opening soon. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp after a short description. See how home physiotherapy works, or read about Achilles tendon pain, which runners can get too.