So what happened was you recently began an exercise program: high impact aerobics, running, kickboxing, or dancing. Or you just stepped up your running miles. Now your shins are painful and maybe slightly swollen. You have shin splints, my friend, an injury most common to beginner athlete’s (although experienced people sometimes get it too).

What exactly is a shin splint?

Really, a shin splint is muscle and/or soft tissue inflammation on the front, inside part of the shin bone (tibia). Shin splints don’t have anything to do with your bones; however, if you have localized pain on the bone itself you need to see a physician to rule out the possibility of a stress fracture (a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention).

If you press your fingers to either side of your shins, in one or more places, you will feel tenderness. The pain line should be vertical, running up and down either side of your shin bone.

When you exercise, you might notice the pain tends to disappear, only to return after your workout. The reason for this is that your muscles are warming up, filling with blood, and you are feeling the endorphins of exercise. If your pain increases during exercise, you may not have shin splints but more serious conditions such as a stress fracture or compartment syndrome (see your physician).

What caused my injury?

Simply, you did too much too soon. Your heart was probably read to run those four miles, but your body was not. The muscles around the shin bone were not strong enough to withstand the pounding on the pavement. They tore and became inflamed.

Other causes could include a bad pair of shoes. Make sure your shoes are still good. You should replace running shoes every 500 miles. Take your fitness shoes to a specialty store and have them evaluated. Simply replacing your old sneakers might be enough to make the pain go away.

Also, your shoes could be the wrong type for your activity or stride, so it’s important to go to a specialty sports shoe store to have your gait evaluated. You may need inserts or stride correction coaching.