Running - Shin Splints

One of the most common injuries that plague runners around the world are shin splints. Shin splints (also called Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome), or pain on the inside and outside of the lower leg that appear after you've started running after a break or if you've recently upped your mileage, occur with repeated mild trauma to the connective muscle tissue surrounding the tibia. While mild and relatively harmless in themselves, a shin split that goes on ignored can result in a more serious condition such as a stress fracture.
 
People with flat feet are more prone to shin splints than either people with normal or high arches. When a person with flat feet runs, he or she over-pronates. The food roles inward excessively and cases tibial twisting and overstretching. Additionally, if you run leaning backwards or forwards significantly or if you run with your toes pointing outwards, you may be more likely to suffer from shin splits.
 
For most people, shin splints can be treated by reducing the activity and stress levels on the legs. This might mean that instead of running 5 miles every morning, you run 2. Or if you are running five days per week, maybe you cut down to 3 days and do a light-impact exercise for the other 2 days. Additionally, having the proper foot gear is of prime importance to preventing and reducing incidence of shin splints-if you think you have flat feet, make sure you are wearing a shoe or using an orthotic that gives you the support you need.
 
Have you experiences shin splints either at the end of a long sports seasons or after getting back into shape after a hiatus? The hardest part is learning your limits because pushing yourself too far with a minor injury such as shin splints can result in much more difficult to treat injuries.