Shin splints

Most of the time, better shoes and a higher running cadence will prevent them.

As far as treatment, I’ve only had them once, but I would freeze water in paper Dixie cups and do ice massages. As well as some movement in the pool until they got better.

When I was younger I switched my shoes up and that helped a lot. Now, if I run more than about 10 miles/ week I get them. Even after losing 30 lbs. I'd research some shoes for him and have him ride a bike for cardio until they heal.

. Here are some effective treatment strategies:

1. Rest: Give your body time to heal by reducing or stopping activities that cause pain, especially high-impact exercises.

2. Ice: Apply ice packs to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day, to reduce pain and swelling.

3. Compression: Use compression sleeves or wraps on your shins to help manage swelling and provide support.

4. Elevation: Elevate your legs to minimize swelling and promote blood flow.

5. Pain Relief: Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help alleviate pain and inflammation.

6. Stretching and Strengthening: Focus on stretching the calf muscles and strengthening the muscles around the shin, which can help improve flexibility and stability.

7. Footwear: Ensure you’re wearing supportive shoes that provide adequate cushioning. Consider replacing worn-out shoes and using orthotics if necessary.

8. Gradual Return to Activity: Once pain subsides, gradually return to your normal activities. Start with low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling before progressing to running.

9. Cross-Training: Incorporate low-impact exercises into your routine

I would get them in high school from our hard pan practice field in cleats. No real way for them to get better other than rest if he’s an athlete and doesn’t want to sit out.

A massage gun can bring some relief. A TENS machine will work too.

My daughter got them bad at the end of her freshman year running track. I took her to an Orthopedic doctor, and what he basically suggested was building up mileage slowly like the couch to 5k program. Alternating walking/jogging during a workout and slowly adding time jogging. She was supposed to do that over the summer, but didn't really stick to it, and her indoor track season that fall and winter was fine, but by the time we were getting near the end of outdoor track season, her shins were starting to bother her again. I took her to physical therapy, they had some stretches and exercises for her to do to strengthen her lower leg muscles. Also did some dry needling to loosen up tight spots. That seemed to work well for temporary relief.

Last summer we made her workout with the cross country team, and she liked it so much she ran cross country in the fall and had a great indoor track season and is doing pretty well so far in the outdoor season.

Some of the exercises she did were single leg squat variants. Really builds up those stabilizing muscles like the tibialis and fibularis. Also they were worried about Achilles tendonitis. PT said that some runners overcompensate when they are having shin issues and it starts adding flexion when their feet are landing and it will shift too much weight towards the back of the leg and you'll get calf cramps and issues with the Achilles. A good stretching and foam rolling routine is great too.