Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)

What You Need to Know

What Are Shin Splints?

Shin splints cause pain along the inside of your lower leg. They often happen when you increase your activity too quickly. Overworked muscles tug on the shin bone, irritating it. If not treated, this can lead to small cracks in the bone called stress fractures.

Who Gets Them?

• Up to 33% of athletes and 15% of runners

• More common in women (2–4x more likely to develop stress fractures)

• Often seen in people who go from low activity to intense training quickly

Symptoms:

• Pain on the inner lower leg that worsens with activity

• Soreness when pressing on the shin

• Pain while hopping on one leg

• In advanced cases, pain may occur at rest

 Treatment:

• Rest and modify activity (try swimming or biking)

• Use orthotics, taping, or ankle adjustments

• Gradually return to activity—don’t rush it

Shockwave Therapy: A Helpful Option

Research showed that individuals who received one shockwave treatment (less than half of a unit) and did rehab exercise had significant improvement compared to people who only did rehab exercises.  

People who got shockwave therapy plus rehab:

• Had less pain at rest and after running

• Could run for longer periods of time before pain started - 17 mins and 33 seconds compared to 4 min and 48 seconds

• Returned to sports faster than those who only did rehab - 65% returned after 4 weeks and 85.1% returned after 15 weeks compared to only 46.8% of the control group returning after 15 weeks 

Citations: Gómez García, S., Ramón Rona, S., Gómez Tinoco, M. C., Benet Rodríguez, M., Chaustre Ruiz, D. M., Cárdenas Letrado, F. P., López‑Illescas Ruiz, Á., & Alarcón García, J. M. (2017, October). Shockwave treatment for medial tibial stress syndrome in military cadets: A single‑blind randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Surgery, 46, 102–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2017.08.584

Takeaway:

Shin splints are common, especially with a sudden increase in activity. Take it slow, wear the right shoes, and don’t ignore the pain—early treatment can prevent stress fractures and get you back to moving comfortably. A combination of shockwave therapy and rehabilitation exercises has been shown to be an effective treatment option. 

• written by Chiropractic intern Natalie Stair