A lot of people are running to get into swimsuit shape before Memorial Day and that has doctors seeing more patients with shin splints.
Physician Assistant Troy Thielen at McLaren Greater Lansing Primary Care says shin splints happen when there's too much force on the tissue that attaches the shin bone to the surrounding muscles. They cause pain on the front or inner part of the lower leg.
Shin splints may be tolerable early on but can eventually make walking unbearable. You can treat them by icing the leg the 20 to 30 minutes every three or four hours until the pain is gone. Anti-inflammatory medicines may also help.
People with flat feet are especially susceptible to shin splints and may find orthotics help. The most important thing is to rest your legs until you can run pain-free.
Strength training can help keep shin splints from coming back. Wearing proper-fitting shoes and socks also helps.
