What should you know about shin splints?

The clinical term medial tibial stress syndrome is often used for pain along the inner border of the shin. It may appear after increasing running, jumping, walking, or training on a hard or unfamiliar surface. The discomfort can be spread along the shin and may be tender with activity. Shin pain has other possible causes, including a bone stress injury or a problem involving muscles, nerves, or blood flow, so the location and behaviour of the pain matter. Flat feet can alter how the leg loads during walking or running, but shin pain alone does not prove that flat feet are the cause.

Reduce or pause the activity that brings on pain, then use lower-impact movement if it is comfortable. Return gradually when ordinary walking is comfortable and symptoms are settling. Check footwear, training surfaces, warm-up habits, and sudden changes in distance or speed. A physiotherapist can assess strength, flexibility, running or walking form, and load management. Gait retraining or custom orthotics may be considered when the assessment identifies a movement or foot-loading factor that needs support.

Arrange an assessment if pain is severe, focused in one small area, present at rest or at night, associated with swelling, or getting worse despite reducing activity. Seek urgent care for a cold or pale foot, sudden marked swelling, new weakness, numbness, or inability to bear weight after an injury. Persistent shin pain deserves a diagnosis before you resume impact exercise.

Could my symptoms be shin splints or a bone stress injury? Which activities are safe while I recover? Do my foot shape, footwear, or gait need assessment? When should I begin strengthening and return to running?