How To Get Rid of Shin Splints
How To Get Rid of Shin Splints
A shin splint is a kind of injury that results from too much straining of the muscles located close to the shin bone in the lower part of your leg. It is very common in dancers, runners, military recruits and even hikers. They can be caused by a number of reasons such as wearing the wrong type of shoes when working out or increased intensity and duration of your workout among other things. In most cases, the onset of a shin splint is not very serious. It is lack of proper treatment that makes the injury very serious. If it is not taken care of in the right way, a shin splint could interfere with your workout or daily activities for a long time. Learn how to get rid of shin splits so that you can enjoy yourself during the running season.
Build Your Routine Gradually
When working out, a lot of people feel the need to increase their intensity and duration too soon into their workout. This is especially common among runners. A few days after starting out, many beginners, strive to reach the 5 mile milestone too soon. They therefore increase their running duration by about 50% a few days after their start. This is very dangerous and it can cause numerous types of muscle injuries. This is because your body will not have gotten used to all the muscle straining. Therefore, the chances of getting muscle injuries will be very high. A great tip when you are looking for ways on how to get rid of shin splints is to identify whether you are trying to bite too much than you can chew in your workouts. If you notice you are going to fast, you need to slow down. Increase your workout duration and intensity every other week by about 10% and not more than this. This will reduce your risk of suffering getting shin injuries therefore enabling you to be able to work out every other day.
Change your workout shoes
The type of shoes you wear when working out can also be a great contributor to shin splints. Shoes that have a poor fit or are extremely heavy tend to increase your chances of suffering from split shins. When looking for workout shoes, it is very important to consider the type of sport you plan on engaging in. This is important because you are supposed to select shoes based on your activity. For instance, if you plan on running, you are supposed to get running shoes. Always go for shoes that are light weight, have incredible shin support, have perfect fit and most importantly very comfortable. Learning how to get rid of shin splints for most people is as easy as finding the right shoes for their activity.
Consider Different Exercises
A lot of people have a hard time doing away with splints becuase they continue with their routine despite the fact that their shin splints have not healed. If you notice the shin splints are getting more painful and harder heal, it is advisable to consider engaging in other less intense workouts. This is important because it will reduce the amount of tension in the shins thereby enabling them to heal. You can try out exercises such as cycling, rowing or even swimming. Yoga is also a great alternative because it stretches your muscles and therefore promotes healing. If you do not know much about how to get rid of shin splints, this is probably the best way to go about it. The great thing about it is the fact that you do not need to do anything to your shins and once the pain is gone, you can resume your normal routine.
Lose a few pounds
Overweight individuals also suffer a lot from shin splints. This is because the excess weight adds a lot of pressure to the lower part of the legs thereby leading to a strain in the muscles which results in shin splints. Therefore, if you are looking for ways on how to get rid of shin splints, one great place to start might be analyzing your weight. Make sure you are within the required BMI range. If not, it might be a great idea to lose a few pounds. You can start by switching to healthier food options and lowering your caloric intake. Combine this with less intense workouts and after some time, you will notice a huge difference in how your shin splints are faring.
Rest
A shin splint is a sign that you are overusing and straining your leg muscles. A lot of physicians advise their patients who are concerned about how to get rid of shin splints to rest. Physicians recommend resting for a few weeks before resuming normal workout routines. Rest is very important because it not only gives your legs time to heal but also prevents more pressure from being exerted onto the area for some time. However, it is very important to try and get into some form of light physical activity during your resting period. You can take a short walk or engage in stretching workouts. This enables you to keep your activity levels high in order to make the transition to your normal routine easier.
Seek Medical Advice
A lot of people who would like to know how to get rid of shin splints normally want to do it themselves. However, there are times when it is important to consider seeking medical advice. If you have been suffering from the injury for a long time and it only seems to be getting worse, it is time you see a physical therapist. Make sure it is someone who is experienced at the job and has dealt with several similar cases. It is also great to ensure the physical therapist has a great reputation for their quality of service. A physical therapist will be able to help you because they can easily diagnose what the cause of the problem is and suggest exercises or remedies to heal the injury.
Try Some Effective Home Remedies
If you are looking for natural ways on how to get rid of shin splints, there are a number of home remedies that are quite effective in treating of shin splints. These include:
Epsom salt bath
Epsom salt bath is very effective in reducing swelling and pain resulting from shin injuries. This salt contains magnesium which is very effective in muscle relaxation. All you are required to do is prepare a warm bath and add the salt into the bath. Soak your feet in the water for about 15 minutes and remove them. If the pain is too much, it might help to place an ice pack on the injured area after the warm bath. This will help in soothing the pain.
Stretching
Stretching your shin muscles might also help in soothing the pain. A great way to stretch is by using a towel. Just wrap is around the toes and while holding to each end of the towel, try to stretch the legs. This not only stretches the shin muscles but also other leg muscles. It enables you to relax your muscles. If you do it repeatedly, you will notice a significant difference in the amount of pain you experience.
Use Ice
Ice is also a very effective way to get rid of shin splints.Most people giving recommendations on how to get rid of shin splints suggest using ice. This is because it has an instant soothing effect on your shin muscles. It is advisable to place an ice pack on the affected area at least for times a day for a few weeks in order to get the best results. The ice packs ought to be placed on your splints for only 15 minutes. This is because the shin is very superficial and therefore does not need prolonged exposure to the ice.
Get the coldest water reusable ice pack productIf you are in search of effective and easy solutions on how to get rid of shin splints, you ought to try the Coldest water ice pack. Coldest water gel pack (ice pack) is among the best products in the market for treating muscle injuries. This product was initially intended to be used by high performance athletes. It is however an excellent choice for anyone who engages in any type of physical activity or anyone who would like to treat a muscle injury. It comes with a high quality Velcro strap that makes it possible for you to wrap it around any injured body part.
The coldest water reusable ice pack product is great for: shin splints, ankle injuries, stomach aches, stiff neck, muscle aches, quads and calve injuries among many other types of injuries. Find out more of the benefits of the Coldest Water reusable ice packs here.
The product comes with two types of therapies; hot and cold therapy. The cold therapy is supposed to be used during the first 48 hours of your injury. All you need to do is place the gel pack into the freezer for about 2 hours and place it on the injured area. The hot therapy ought to be used 48 hours after you suffered the injury. You have two options when it comes to hot therapy. You can either immerse the gel pack in hot water for about 10 minutes or microwave it for 30 seconds.
There are many advantages you get from using this product. First and foremost, you get to take advantage of two therapy options that give you exactly what you need to sooth the pain. It is also a great product because it is very easy to use and can be used to treat different types of injuries not just shin splints. It is also very effective in treating injuries. Last but not least, it is a high quality and very durable product. This means you will be using it for a very long time without any problems.
Use An Orthotic
Heel striking is a leading cause of shin injury. If you have been having a problem with this and you have no clue on how to get rid of shin splints, getting an orthotic is your solution on how to get rid of shin splints. Orthotics are basically made to provide you with a better arch support. All you need to do is get a high quality orthotic and place it in your shoe. This will prevent heel striking thereby reducing all types of leg injuries including shin splints.
Take Short Strides
A lot of people are not careful when they get back to running after their shin splints have healed. They get back to their routines without caution and before they know it, they are suffering from another shin splint and looking for different solutions on how to get rid of shin splints. To avoid this, it is very important to take it easy when you get back to your routine. If you are a runner, it is important to take shorter strides and extend them as you go on.
Strike with your mid-foot
Sometimes, it is not necessary to find different solutions on how to get rid of shin splints. The best thing to to do is change your strike. If you are the kind of person who strikes with their heel first, shin splints will be inevitable. This is because it creates a lot of tension your muscles thereby causing injuries. Try striking your mid-foot first and you will notice a significant difference in the amount of shin splint injuries you get.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many suggestions on how to get rid of shin splints out there. Most of them are effective but they might not work for you. This is because the first step when you are trying to find ways on how to get rid of shin splints ought to be diagnosing your problem. Find out what causes the shin splint and proceed to finding a solution on how to get rid of shin splints based on your condition. For example, if you get the shin splints from running, you can search how to get rid of shin splints caused by running. This will give you numerous treatment options that will deal with the root of the problem as opposed to trying all suggestions.
