Dr. Abbie Clinics

Shin Splints

Pain along the shin that comes on with activity, usually running, and settles with rest.

  • Activity related
  • Common in new runners
  • About 45 minutes
  • Nine NSW clinics

Trusted by patients from Sydney to Narrabri

Podiatry NSW/ACT American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) Sports Medicine Australia AHPRA — Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
What you notice

Symptomsand causes

If this sounds like your pain, there is a structural reason for it. The assessment is what finds it.

Common symptoms

  • Aching along the inside edge of the shin
  • Comes on during or after running and eases with rest
  • Tender along a stretch of bone rather than one point
  • Worse on hard surfaces or in worn shoes

What causes it

Shin pain usually reflects how load is being transmitted up from the foot. A sudden increase in training, a change of surface, worn footwear or the way the foot rolls through stance can all concentrate stress along the tibia.

Diagram of medial shin splints along the tibia
Diagram of medial shin splints along the tibia
In detail

Understandingshin splints

There are three types of shin splints. Each is named for the part of the shin that hurts, and each is linked to a different muscle and a different way the foot moves.

Diagram of anterior shin splints along the front of the shin

Three types of shin splints

Foot rolls in

Inner edge (medial)

The arch drops and the foot lengthens, stretching the tibialis posterior muscle until it develops tiny tears.

Rolls out, then in

Front (anterior)

The foot lands on its outer edge, then snaps inwards. The sudden change strains the tibialis anterior muscle at the front.

Foot rolls out

Outer edge (lateral)

The foot stays rolled out through the whole step, straining the peroneal muscles on the outside of the leg.

Why it builds with training

The strain is repetitive, so it gets worse as training volume and intensity go up, because the same foot movement repeats with every step.

Where it hurts guides the orthotic

An inner-edge type usually needs the rolling-in controlled. Front and outer types need the forefoot corrected so the foot stops landing on its outer edge.

How we diagnose it

The cause,not the sore spot

Shin Splints is diagnosed with the Najjarine Biomechanical Assessment, so treatment is prescribed against a finding rather than a symptom.

Dr Abbie Najjarine assessing a patient’s gait on a treadmill
01

Assess

We assess your gait under load, because shin pain appears with activity rather than at rest.

02

Diagnose

We identify what is concentrating the stress and explain what we found.

03

Treat

Treatment addresses the mechanics and the training load together, since changing one without the other usually brings it back.

Dr Abbie Najjarine demonstrating a lower limb assessment, with alignment marked on the leg and practitioners observing
Start here

Book an assessment

Find out what is actually causing your shin splints.

Patient feedback

What patients sayabout shin splints

Google 4.9 Based on 286 Google reviews across our clinics
Ben A. Dr. Abbie Clinics · 2 weeks ago Google

Turned out it was my shoes and my training jump together, not one or the other.

Laura S. Dr. Abbie Clinics · 1 month ago Google

Modified my running rather than stopping it. Back to full distance now.

Marcus L. Dr. Abbie Clinics · 2 months ago Google

Checked for a stress fracture properly before treating it as shin splints.

Questions

Shin Splintsquestions

They can feel similar. One important difference is whether the tenderness is spread along the bone or sits at one point. If a fracture is suspected we will say so and arrange imaging.

Often in a modified form. Your podiatrist will set out what to change rather than simply stopping you.

Sometimes shoes are part of it and sometimes they are not. Bring the ones you train in to the appointment.

That depends on how long you have trained through it. You will get a realistic timeframe at the assessment.

No. You can book directly.

Treating lower limb pain since 1990

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Choose your clinic and book straight into its diary, or call and we will point you to the right practitioner.