What Causes Shin Splints?
In this post we’re going to discuss what causes shin splints and how to tell which of these causes could be responsible for your current pain. Whilst I can’t possibly cover every pontential cause of shin splints, I will cover the most important and most common factors.
1) Incorrect or inappropriate training methods or surfaces.
Shin splints will most likely to appear whenever you increase the intensity, frequency or duration of training. This is especially true if changes are abrupt. Training on hard surfaces like concrete or uneven surfaces like snow or sand can also be a catalyst for shin splints – especially if you haven’t done this type of training before.
It’s very important for the health of your body that you introduce any increases to the amount of training you do, gradually. If you start to experience any pain, you slow down or cease the activity causing you pain immediately. As a general guideline, avoid increasing the intensity or duration of your workout by more than 10% per week to help avoid shin splints and other injuries.
2) Muscular imbalances or lack of flexibility
Muscle imbalances, inflexibility, weakness and instability are all factors which can lead to the onset of painful shin splints. The three most common ones that lead to shin splints are inflexibility of the calf muscles, over-pronation of the foot and weak or inactive gluteal muscles. There are more but these 3 account for the majority of cases:
Problem #1 – Weak or Inflexible Calves:
The calves consist of two main muscles, the soleus and the gastrocnemius. Both of these muscles connect to the foot and when they become tired, weak or inflexible this can compromise the strength and stability of the ankle, which can and most of the time will contribute to aches and pains in the shins as well as many other forms of injury.
Problem #2 – Over-pronation of the foot:
Over-pronation (or more commonly known as flat feet) is a common problem that involves a person’s arch collapsing when beraing weight. This motion places a lot of stress on the tendons and ligaments in the ankle which can trigger inflammation, as well as potentially causing shin splints or other foot problems. This problem generally occurs in people who have flat feet or low or collapsed arches.
Problem #3 – Weak or Inactive Glutes
The glutes (bum muscles) are actually the strongest muscles in the body, but most people’s glutes are either not firing at all or are very weak. This is mainly due to sitting in a chair for 8-10 hours a day which is a lifestyle phenomenon that’s common for many of us. Sitting for long periods of time often makes the hip flexors tight and overactive, which deactivates the glutes. Weak glutes cause the hamstring and quadriceps muscles to overcompensate, making you far more likely to overpronate your feet, which can contribute to shin splints.
3) Poor shoe/equipment selection
It may not sound like it’s a big deal, but getting the right shoe and fit is critical. Consider the following:
* Most running shoes don’t last longer than 500 miles without breaking down.
* They’ll wear down even faster if you weigh over 250lbs.
* To tell if your shoes are worn out, look at the mid-sole. If there are two or more creases over top of each other, then your shoe has likely lost over 50% of its ability to support your foot.
4) Poor Running Technique
Poor running technique is the final common cause of shin splints. It increases the impact and consequently the stress on the tendons and ligaments in your lower legs. Poor running technique usually comes down to one of the following factors:
* Running with your arms crossed over your body – This is inefficient and a waste of energy. Also be sure not to elevate your shoulders and tighten up; running is all about being loose and having rhythm. Try to keep your shoulders relaxed and make sure your arms are pointed forward, but not too stiff.
* Leaning too far forward – Keep your back upright. Have a slight forward lean but not from the hips.
* Aim to land softly on the heels and then propel from the toes – A common error is to take steps that are too large, forcing you to push from the heels and not the toes when propelling forward. Another common error is to run on the balls of your feet; which is an effective way to build speed but not easily sustainable.
* Running with toes pointed inwards or outwards – This is something that happens all too often all too often. Aim to point your toes forward as you run.
So these are most common causes of shin splints. After answering the question: “what cause shin splints?” the next logical question is what is the best to treat shin splints? Stop Shin Spints Forever is the bible when it comes to treating shin splints. It covers every possible facet of shin splints treatment and preventing them from coming back.
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