Shin splints are one of the most common sports-related injuries. Here's how to get rid of them.

Though the official name for shin splints is "medial tibial stress syndrome," anyone experiencing them probably isn't concerned about using correct medical terminology. As a condition that causes pain or tenderness along the front or inner side of your lower leg or tibia, shin splints are among the most common sports-related injuries. They are especially common among athletes who engage in high-impact sports or exercises like runners, dancers, and tennis, basketball, football and soccer players.

While various factors can contribute to the condition, shin splints are sometimes preventable by doing things like gradually increasing the intensity and frequency of high-impact exercises, and by wearing properly fitting athletic shoes.

Here's how shin splints can be treated once they've developed. 

Why are shin splints so painful? 

Shin splints can be both painful and inconvenient. It's an injury that usually builds over time as a result of hard exercise that consists of repetitive movements. Shin splints become painful when inflammation develops along the tendon and muscle tissue surrounding the tibia. This can feel like a dull ache or a sharp pain and also cause swelling and tenderness in the affected area. Without giving shin splints time to heal, they can eventually lead to a bone break or stress fracture. 

Because shin splints cause ongoing pain, "they can certainly take the enjoyment out of any type of exercise," says Dr. Matthew Anastasi, a sports medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. In some cases, shin splints can even affect day-to-day activity. 

At first, the pain may not seem severe, "yet it persists without proper rest and treatment," says Dr. Naomi Brown, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with a focus on sports injury prevention and overuse injuries. Further cause of frustration is the fact that "shin splints are often innocuous and occur without a specific injury," she adds. 

Will shin splints go away on their own? 

While the first inclination of many of us is to simply carry on with a sport while we endure pain, "shin splints are not something that you can just push through," says Anastasi.

Instead, "shin splints are best treated by allowing the body to heal," says Dr. Brent Lambson, a board-certified sports medicine physician at Revere Health Orthopedics in Utah. This means shin splints usually do heal and improve over time, but only if the activity that caused the inflammation is paused or suspended in the meantime. "It sometimes takes weeks of rest to allow the affected area to heal," Lambson notes. 

How to get rid of shin splints

Resting and preventing any more stress to the area while it heals is the best way to get rid of shin splints. "Rest is critical to reduce the stress on the muscles and bones," says Brown. Muscle-strengthening (non-impact) exercises are sometimes recommended to aid that healing process.

Gently stretching your lower leg muscles is another way to treat the condition. "A calf stretch while leaning into a wall can help improve flexibility and stretching the front of the ankle may also improve symptoms," says Brown. Applying ice packs or cold compresses to the area can also be helpful in relieving pain and reducing swelling; as can taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and naproxen. Anastasi says that wearing orthotics or arch supports in one's shoes may also help reduce the amount of stress on the area and can further help with healing. 

Sometimes a physical therapist is sought out as they can oversee specific strengthening exercises and recommending customized treatments. "A physical therapist can help with mobility and pain relief as well as prevent recurrence of shin splints," says Brown. 

When trying to decide which movements can be done while the condition heals, she says cross-training exercises such as swimming or use of an elliptical or stationary bike are usually fine, but "listening to your body and letting any pain be your guide" is best. To help with this, Lambson suggests following the “stop light” rule. "If an activity hurts, it's a red light, and you should stop whatever activity causes the pain," he explains. If an activity does not hurt, "then you have a green light to perform that activity." If the pain has subsided but slowly begins to return, "consider that a yellow light and slow down doing that activity until the pain goes away." 

More:Shin splints can be inconvenient and painful. Here's what causes them.