If you overload your shin muscles, you risk severe pain. We are talking about shin splints, which hikers can also sing a song about. Learn how to prevent those «shin splints». Because what many do not know: The unpleasant pain can become chronic!
Sore muscles are completely normal after a strenuous hike. Pain in the shins, which is not a healthy side effect of sporting activity, is often rarer and far more unpleasant, often while hiking. This is the so-called shin splints syndrome. A sports medicine doctor explains why this is a warning signal.
It feels like the surface of the shin bones are inflamed. And that is exactly the case. The shin splints syndrome refers to an overload of the periosteum, which acts as a link between bone and muscle attachment. The Munich specialist for orthopedics and accident surgery, Dr. medical Mathias Schettle.
Possible causes of shin splints
«Shin splints can occur with any form of leg-stressing activity,» says the expert in an interview with FITBOOK. However, it occurs more frequently with movements and exercises that are accompanied by frequent and rapid changes of direction – for example in tennis, basketball and comparable ball sports. When hiking would Shin splints more likely to occur uphill than downhill, since the stress is different and greater.
According to experts, there are two main causes of shin splints. First: acute overload, «ie if you suddenly increase your activity or increase the intensity significantly,» explains the orthopaedist. On the other hand, the complaints are often based on a foot malposition. “If you have a flat foot or flat foot, the stress on your lower leg is unhealthy. The wrong appearance during sport, i.e. with intensity, stresses the shin muscles.”
Appropriate: when a foot deformity needs to be treated
What to do if you have shin splints
Unfortunately, when pain in the shins becomes noticeable, rest is the order of the day. This may be annoying for outdoor athletes who suffer from it right at the beginning of a hiking tour, but it can prevent worse things from happening – more on that later. According to Dr. Schettle anti-inflammatory and painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen), but also cooling to relieve the acute symptoms.
How long you have to pause depends on the intensity of the pain. «If it also occurs when you are resting, a longer rest period is recommended,» the sports doctor informs us. In this case, one should have been symptom-free for at least two weeks before resuming sport.
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Can shin splints become chronic?
«As a differential diagnosis, i.e. as another possible diagnosis for a painful tibia, an overload fracture should be ruled out, preferably using an MRI» (imaging procedure for medical diagnostics, editor’s note), according to Dr. Keep shaking. This warning applies especially to marathon runners. However, recreational hikers should also wait for their symptoms of overuse to heal, otherwise they risk the inflammation becoming chronic. Then the pain would remain permanent – regardless of physical activity
So that it doesn’t come to that, the expert gave us a few recommendations for behavior that should prevent shin splints.
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Tips to prevent shin splints
Remember the warm up
«Before any high-intensity activity, you should warm up,» advises Dr. skettle This is essential to prevent overloading and the corresponding stress symptoms.
Go to run analysis
Have an orthopedist check that you are rolling properly! like dr According to Schettle, depending on the severity of the foot deformity, a shoe insert or special footwear may be necessary to correct your posture.
Increase slowly
As already mentioned, the shin splints syndrome occurs, among other things, when you increase the sporting load too abruptly. The expert therefore recommends gradually increasing the performance and asking yourself again and again in between: Am I (already) up to what I have set out to do? If not, it’s better to take a step back.