Shin splints are a common occurrence that many athletes have suffered from. These foot strikers can cause a mild discomfort at the front of the lower leg which can increase to a severe pain with every step you take. Shin splints of any type are annoying and inconvenient, but the pain can become debilitating with proper management. This article will reveal how to heal shin splints fast and give you some exercising that will help you manage the pain.
Try These Ways to Heal Shin Splints Fast
Plenty of Rest
Shin splints need a lot of time to recovery, so the best thing you can do to get rid of them is to simply rest your legs. This will prevent any additional injury from occurring. To help reduce swelling, keep the injured leg elevated. When resume with your exercise regimen, keep it less intense, decrease the weight you would usually lift and reduce the distance you would typically run. If the pain persists after starting your exercise routine again, you will want to give yourself more time to rest the injury.
Apply Ice
Ice the injured leg immediately for a few days after the shin splint occurs. The ice will help reduce inflammation and limit the pain for the shin splint. Applying ice can also speed up the recovery time and ice massage can also be an ideal way to ease the pain. Use a large ice cube rub the leg in a small circular motion while applying a little bit of pressure. If the cold from the ice cube irritates the skin, wrap the ice cube in a cloth or towel. Give your leg an ice cube massage for about ten minutes up to four times a day for at least three days.
Continued Care
How to heal shin splints fast? Well, this is a process and the right care is necessary to prevent future injury. Stop applying ice after the first three days and switch to heat compression instead. Use a hot pack of a damp towel and keep this on the area for about 20 minutes. This will help relax the muscles. After applying the heat pack, deeply massage the leg. After the message, you'll want to do some light stretches without causing pain in the area. The best stretch to do is placing your toes against a hard surface and pushing back on the heels of your feet. This can be done by pushing your toes up against a wall.
Limit Stress
Give your leg extra support to help the shin splints heal faster. Providing extra support will help limit the amount of stress on the shins. Those with flat feet or overly pronounced arches should use a shoe insert to supply additional support. The injured leg should be wrapped in a compression bandage that is snug but does not cut off circulation.
Medications
Medication like Ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen will help reduce inflammation and pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help aid in the recovery process but should only be taken as the recommended dosage since taking more than the recommendation can result in bleeding and ulcers. How to heal shin splints fast? Try these medications. However, if you take these medications as a way to reduce the pain just so that you can continue to exercise, it will only result in more serious injury.
Physical Therapy and Exercises
In the morning, you want to stretch to keep the tissues and muscles lose before starting your day.
Stair stretches are easy to perform where you stand on the step and allow your toes to hang over. Point the toes down and then to the ceiling 20 times before resting for a few seconds and repeating.
Kneeling is also an easy way to stretch the shins. Using a wall, kneel so the feet are flat against the wall then slowly sit back on the feet.
Or sit in a chair and use your toes to trace the letters of the alphabet on the floor. You can also walk on the heels of your feet for seconds then walk regular. Repeat this three or four times. Performing these two exercises three or four times throughout the day will help strengthen the muscles and help in the healing process.
Return to running slowly and only increase your mileage by no more than 10 percent a week. If you feel the pain begin to come back, stop running or cut back until you fully recover.
See a Doctor
How to heal shin splints fast? It may not be a possibility if the pain is too severe and makes walking difficult. In these cases, you should seek the advice from a medical professional as this can be the result of fracture in the bone. In some cases, surgery is required when there is a stress fracture or another cause for the shin splints.
The best thing is to prevent shin splint in the first place, so watch the video below to learn some easy exercises before running for prevention.
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