How to Care For Sports Injuries - Shin Splints

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By georgelarson
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Most sports use running for conditioning.

There are many types of injuries that happen to athletes due to repetitive motion and over use. Running is often incorporated as part of a conditioning program, or as a sport on its own, and a common sport injury from running is shin splints. Sharp pain on the outside edge of the shin is the most common symptom. This type of injury can be as mild as a minor annoyance, or prove to be serious enough to stop any kind of activity that involves running.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Prevention tactics.
Good conditioning regime.
Ice for when you get shin splints.

Step 1

Stretch before playing the game.

Care of athletic injury - - Rest, ice and elevation are the best treatments for shin splints. The ice will reduce any inflammation and the elevation of the limb will reduce swelling and fluid build up. In this case, the body can be left to heal itself and rest is most often the best medicine. As an additional measure, you can take ibuprofen to help alleviate the pain.

Stretching can also provide some temporary relief from this common injury to athletes. Finding a good stretch that works the lower front part of your leg might be difficult. However, by stretching the quadriceps (the front of the thigh) you also relieve a lot of the tension in your shin. By grabbing one foot and pulling it up behind you, you can give your quad a good stretch. When the quad is stretched it tightens all the connecting tendons and the muscles attached to those tendons; as the quads relax, so does the rest of the leg, including the shin. You can make the stretch even more efficient for a shin splint by pulling back your toes as you have your leg bent behind you.
Step 2

Preventing shin splints - Perhaps the best treatment for shin splints is prevention. Prevention starts with smart training. There are many exercises that will strengthen the calf and muscles surrounding your shin. Ask your Coach or Trainer which exercises and weight workout will help to build a solid muscle mass around your shin and calf. If your sport involves high impact activities, make sure you have days that are low-impact. The increase in strength and will enhance your body' s ability to take some abuse and greatly decreases the possibility that the shin splints will be a recurring injury.
Step 3

See your Doctor - If, after several weeks of rest, ice, and elevation you are still experiencing sharp pain when you try to run, it may be time to see a doctor. There is another overuse injury that has similar symptoms, but which may require additional treatment. Stress fractures are painful, and typically require a much longer recovery time. If you allow your shin splint to go unchecked, they can often be the pre-cursor to a stress fracture, so don't let them linger without some kind of treatment.