What is Shin Pain?

Shin pain is a very common complaint among athletes. Many people commonly refer to shin pain as “shin splints” but, regardless of what it’s called, pain generally occurs in one or more of three structures. These structures include:

• Bone
  The leg bone may experience continuous stress resulting in possible stress fracture.
• Muscles
  Can be “overused” causing swelling and pain.
• Bony Lining
  This is called the tenoperiosteum. This is the point at which the muscles insert into the bone. The muscular insertions can become inflamed and painful.

What causes pain in the shin?

The podiatrist must first determine where the pain is coming from. This is done through a series of clinical tests. Sometimes x-rays or bone scans may be needed. Following diagnosis, appropriate treatment is then implemented.

One of the major causes of shin pain in all areas (bone, bony lining and muscles) is incorrect foot and leg alignment during walking and running. Incorrect positioning of the foot and leg leads to poor shock absorption and can result in increased stress on the bone.

Abnormal positioning of the feet and legs can also cause muscle fatigue and overuse resulting in inflammation of tendons. Other causes of shin pain include training errors, poor conditioning, incorrect footwear and training on hard surfaces.