My experience with shin splints

Lexi Mentzer, Journalist • March 20, 2025

This article contains information about shin splints and my experience with them. (Photo AI generated in Canva)

Information about shin splints

What is it?

Shin splints are a common overuse injury that causes pain along the tibia (shin).

Various factors including the following can cause shin splints:

Overuse of the muscles and tendons attached to the shinbone, especially during activities like running, jumping, and dancing
Improper footwear or running technique
Sudden increases in activity intensity or duration
Flat feet or pronation (arch collapses)

Symptoms of shin splints include:

Pain along the inner edge of the shin bone, typically near the bottom
Pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest
Tenderness to the touch
Swelling or redness

Treatment:

Rest: Avoid activities that aggravate the pain
Ice: apply ice to the affected area for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day
Stretching: perform calf and hamstring stretches to reduce muscle tension
Orthotics: custom-made arch support can help correct pronation
Pain Relievers: Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can reduce inflammation and pain

Prevention:

Gradually increase activity levels
Wear supportive and well-fitting shoes
Strengthen calf and hamstring muscles
Correct any foot posture issues
Use orthotics if necessary

My story

Growing up, I played various sports including gymnastics, soccer, swimming, and volleyball. Throughout all these sports I have never experienced any severe injury let alone shin splints up until about two years ago. My first encounter with shin splints was during a championship soccer game. I noticed my shins started to hurt during the first half of the game. I tried my best to push through which resulted in us winning the championship. At the time, I did not know what shin splints were and convinced myself I had fractured my tibia. I was in immense pain even just putting pressure on it. After resting for a couple of days, the pain seemed to decrease.

Since then, I have not experienced shin pain until my 2024 track season. Last year, I competed in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay, long jump, and triple jump. This past season was my first year trying out triple jump and I enjoyed it, but it started to cause me a lot of pain. The constant impact of jumping was causing stress on my tibia making it very difficult for me to jump, run, and even walk sometimes. I tried various things to try and help the pain including ice baths, KT tape, sitting out every once in a while, and medication. These could only help to an extent considering I still had to practice and compete at meets. It had gotten to the point where my coach had even taken me out of the relay for a meet in fear that I wouldn’t be able to run.

After the track season ended, I dedicated my summer to working out in preparation for the 2025 season. My track coach, whose workout facility I train at, also had me do many exercises to try and prevent me from having shin splints this season. After being about two weeks into this year’s season, I have been very conscious about my shins, making sure as soon as I start feeling pain, I stop doing whatever it is that is aggravating them.

As you can see, shin splints have had a significant impact on my physical health and ability to do the things that I love. I am hopeful this season won’t be nearly as bad as last season, and I won’t have to miss out on things due to shin splints.

The girls’ 4×1 relay finished with a PR of 50.5 at section finals last year. (Photo used with permission from Cami Weber)

Lexi and Sawyer cheered on Ella while at the state championship meet. (Photo used with permission from Ella Kirchner)

Lexi Mentzer PR’d at section finals with a triple jump of 35′ 7.5. (Photo used with permission from Lexi Mentzer).

About the Contributor

Lexi Mentzer, Senior Journalist

Favorite Song: Love Lost-Mac Miller Future Plans: Study Nursing Favorite Animal: Horse Dream Vacation: Italy Favorite Scent: Vanilla

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My experience with shin splints