Although shin splints are not a serious condition they are nevertheless, very annoying and painful to anyone with an athletic flair. But the good news is, that the natural remedies for shin splints that we’re about to discuss, should provide some effective results or preferably, prevention of the condition in the first place.
Shin splints usually occur because of overuse of the lower leg muscles. When the leg muscles become fatigued, they are no longer able to absorb the shock from exercising. This can cause tearing or inflammation of the tendons that connect the muscles to the frontal bone in the lower leg. However there are other conditions, like flat feet, that can cause shin splints as well.
Even in mild cases, shin splints symptoms can be extremely painful. Prevention is always better of course, but when they do occur, shin splints symptoms can be alleviated with proper care. Your aim should be to speed up the healing process and prevent shin splint injuries from becoming more severe.
Preventing shin splints can be done through utilizing proper footwear, stretching, strengthening the muscles, and warming the muscles up before exercising. These methods can prevent shin splints symptoms from occurring in the first place.
If shin splints do occur however, there are some techniques that can help to alleviate the pain.
Catching shin splints symptoms early can help to prevent the injury from becoming more severe. The first indication of a shin splint is a dull pain in the front or outer part of the lower leg. If handled immediately, symptoms can be mild or even prevented.
If not addressed early on, shin splints symptoms can become extremely painful. This causes severe pain throughout the front part of the leg which can become quite debilitating.
Natural Remedies for Shin Splints Pain
Stretching
If you notice the early signs of shin splints after exercising, stretching can help to prevent the problem from getting worse. There are several stretches that can be done. Stretches for shin splints should include all of the lower leg muscles for the best results.
This is because even though symptoms are only noticed in the front part of the leg, all of the lower leg muscles are responsible for a shin splint injury.
As long as the shin splint is not severe, continuing light exercise can help to strengthen the lower leg muscles and increase blood flow and oxygen. However, proper treatment should be undertaken both before and after exercise in order to ensure that symptoms do not get worse.
Heat
Heat should be applied to the muscles one hour before exercise for about 15-20 minutes in order to increase blood flow to the muscles. This will help to prevent further injury.
Ice
Ice should also be used immediately after exercise to reduce any potential swelling to the muscles. Additionally, anti-inflammatory medication should be used regularly to reduce any possible swelling.
Massage
Massages can also help reduce painful symptoms. This is done by using the thumbs in an upward motion, starting at the bottom of the leg. The friction helps to increase blood flow and relax the fatigued muscles.
Using preventative methods such as these can help reduce your chances of shin splint injury in the future.
If necessary, make an appointment with a podiatrist that can evaluate your feet to see if special footwear is required.
If you’ve acquired the injury simply due to overworking the muscles, then use proper techniques to reduce and eliminate shin splints symptoms.
Tape it
Taping shin splints with an elastic bandage or wearing a neoprene sleeve that fits snugly over the lower leg may provide some comfort by compressing the area, which may help limit inflammation, and by supporting the tissues and permitting less muscle movement. (By the way, while it’s wise to take it easy for at least a few days, you don’t want to totally immobilize the leg; gentle movement helps bring nourishing blood to the damaged tissue while taking away excess fluid from inflammation.)
Prevention is Better than Cure
Shin splints are the most common place injuries which occur on your lower leg and beneath the knee. It sometimes causes extreme pain around your shins. This kind of injury may seem to be a regular occurrence with athletes but many other people are also known to also fall sufferer to shin splints especially after running. Shin splinting is also known in medical circles as tibial stress syndrome. Prevention is better than cure so you must quickly get solution for how to avoid shin splints pain at the starting stage.
Here are 4 different tips designed to prevent you from the painful situation created by the shin splints.
Train with your Brain
One of the denial factors of youth is, that we think we can do almost anything and not get hurt. But then we get a reality check. When you start running, you have use commonsense and give your body, bones, joints, and tendons time to replenish. If you can feel within yourself that you’re experiencing muscle fatigue and are not up to it today, then try something other than running to get your athletic fix. Try a milder form of exercise such as swimming or walking on soft ground until you’re ready to run again.
Get the Right Footwear
If you don’t know how to avoid shin splints even though you are following right type of exercises and activities, you should go changing your footwear. Using improper footwear while running or other athletic activities can definitely lead to shin splint symptoms.
If you are an athlete or trainer and don’t have enough grips or comfortable cushioning with your footwear, then you should immediately do something about this. The best footwear is especially designed for athletes and will be very helpful for its cushioning effects and consequently, reduce your likelihood of falling prey to shin splints. At the same time, it will also improve your performance. As a sports person, you should frequently change your footwear every 3 to 4 months, both for comfort and prevention of injury.
Mind the Distance
Shin splints pain generally arises from overworking your muscles and legs. For new runners, go easy on yourself in the initial stages and don’t be too ambitious about the distance. If you are putting yourself though a higher pace too early and don’t take enough rest, you can almost guarantee complications. As a rule of thumb, don’t increase your pace or distance by more than ten percent per week.
Prefer the softer Ground
Running on the path may not be a good idea. It will place additional stress on your legs and calves and will jar such muscles and joints whenever you do it. Your aim should be to reduce the impact on your legs by running on lush or soft surfaces to avoid shin splints pain.
