How to Tell If You've Got Shin Splints
Shin splints are a painful problem for people who do a lot of running. Athletes are prone to shin splints under the right circumstances, and tennis players, joggers, basketball players, and others who constantly run on hard surfaces are quite susceptible. There are certain things to look for when trying to tell if you have shin splints, which occur when the area around the tibia bone in the lower legs becomes stressed from repeated use.
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Instructions
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Look for pain that develops on the lower half of the leg in the shin region. Shin splints occur on the inside of the shin in this area. The pain can be constant or intermittent and may be mild to severe in nature.
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Look for pain that comes about just as you are beginning to exercise. Shin splint pain can come right at the very start of physical activity and then seem to go away the more you are active and on your feet.
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Look for returning pain once your activity level has wound down. The discomfort people can feel from shin splints may not be as bad the day of the actual exercise as it is the morning after.
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Look for any sign of swelling, redness, or small lumps along the very inside of your shins. While these symptoms aren't always present in cases of shin splints, they may show up. Any pain that occurs on the inside of the shin region when you bend your foot down or bend your toes at a downward slant is an indicator of shin splints.
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Try to recall when you feel shin discomfort if you switched to a different running shoe, began running on harder surfaces such as paved roads, or ran a much longer distance than usual. Changes of this type can bring about shin splints, as can failing to wear athletic shoes that support your feet.
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