How Long Does It Take Shin Splints to Heal?

If you get shin splints, you aren’t alone. Research indicates that this type of shin pain impacts up to 20% of runners. Though, some studies suggest that long-distance runners may be at a greater risk. 

For instance, a 2021 study of recreational marathoners found that a high number of both female and male runners had shin splints, at 55.3% and 44.7% respectively. Shin splints can also impact other athletes, such as dancers, and even military personnel engaged in a high level of physical activity. 

If you’re among them, you probably want to know how long it takes to get rid of shin splint pain. We’ll certainly get to that. But first, it’s helpful to know what shin splints are, their causes, and what happens if they’re left untreated. This helps you better understand the answer to the question: How long does it take shin splints to heal?

What a Shin Splint Is

Shin splints are a term used to describe pain that runs along the tibia, otherwise known as the shin bone. This is the bone that sits in the front of the lower leg. The tibia is the second largest bone in the body and it helps support your weight and promotes stability when standing.

In the medical world, a shin splint is referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome. Shin splint symptoms include pain or tenderness in the shin area. Some people also experience swelling in the lower leg.

If the splint occurs on the front of the shin muscle, this is called an anterior shin splint. It if occurs on the backside of the shin muscles and tendon, it is called a posterior shin splint. Both anterior and posterior shin splints can cause pain. It’s just that the pain is in slightly different areas.

Shin Splint Causes

An analysis of 21 different studies identified more than 100 factors that can increase your risk of shin splints. Some of the most common factors were:

• Greater body mass index

• Greater foot pronation, also referred to as navicular drop

• Greater ankle plantar-flexion range of motion (when the foot is pointed away from the leg)

• Greater hip external-rotation range of motion (when the leg rotates outward, away from the body)

Other potential causes of pain in the shin include suddenly increasing exercise intensity or duration, overuse, running on uneven terrain, and having a flat foot or high arches. It’s also possible that your shoes could be giving you shin splints. If your shoe isn’t matched to your foot’s structure, it could be contributing to your shin pain.

The Dangers of Leaving Shin Splints Untreated

Because shin splints are so common, you may be tempted to do nothing and just let them go away on their own. In some cases, this approach may work—especially if you take other actions, such as taking some time away from exercise to give the inflammation time to subside. But there is a downside to doing nothing at all.

An untreated shin splint can lead to a stress fracture. The repeated stress on the tibia can cause it to weaken and crack. This often means having pain while running, but also when doing other activities as well. You may notice that your shin hurts when doing a low impact exercise such as walking, for instance.

If your shin splints transition to a stress fracture, avoiding exercise involving the lower leg is critical to getting it to heal. This means no running until the pain is gone. Your doctor may also suggest more extensive action, such as putting you in a walking boot or engaging in physical therapy.

How Long Does It Take Shin Splints to Heal?

So, this is the big question. If you have shin splints, how long will it take for them to go away? For shin splints to heal completely, it can take up to six months according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to take all of this time off from your physical activity. While the NIH does recommend taking 2 to 4 weeks of rest with shin splints, this only involves no repetitive exercise on the lower leg for the first week or two. Then, as long as you have no pain, you can engage in low impact movements such as swimming or cycling.

If your body is able to tolerate the low impact exercise with no pain, you can start to work normal physical activity back into your routine. The medical staff at the University of Chicago Medicine suggests doing so slowly, not increasing your load by more than 10% per week.

Tips for Easing Shin Pain

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to reduce the pain caused by shin splints. 

Use Ice Packs

One simple option is to apply an ice pack to the anterior tibialis muscle. Ice can help reduce the pain while also reducing inflammation and swelling. Apply the pack to your sore leg muscle up to three times a day for 20 minutes at a time. And don’t rest the pack directly on the skin. Always use some type of barrier, such as a towel, to prevent doing damage.

Rest the Shin Area

As previously mentioned, rest is important too. Give the calf muscle and bone time to fully recover from the stress placed upon it. 

Trying to “push through the pain” isn’t a good approach for dealing with splints. The more you stress the muscle and bone tissue, the greater your risk of a stress fracture. 

Pushing too hard may even lead to chronic external compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome is also exercise-induced and can lead to pain in the muscle, sometimes even leading to disability.

Buy the Right Shoes for Your Foot

If your shoes are to blame, invest in the proper footwear. This begins by purchasing shoes designed for your specific sport. Then, choose a style that aligns with your foot structure and function. 

For example, if your foot is flat due to structural reasons, you likely want a shoe that conforms to the minimal arch. Yet, if your foot is flat due to a collapsed arch, selecting a shoe that helps lift the arch may be a better option.

A foot doctor (podiatrist) can help determine the best shoe for you based on your foot specifically. They may even suggest using an orthotic to correct any existing dysfunction. Most pharmacies and retail stores sell foot orthotics. You can also purchase custom-made foot orthotics. 

Do Corrective Exercises

Corrective exercises are exercises designed to correct or improve muscle imbalance or movement limitations. This helps by reducing the stress on the muscle or bone. For instance, stretching the calf can keep it from pulling on the shin.

The following are a few shin splint exercises that can potentially prevent shin splints or treat pain in the shin:

• Standing calf stretch, which involves leaning toward a wall with the back leg straight and the heel of that foot not lifting off the ground

• Seated calf stretch, such as by placing a resistance band around the top of the foot (under the big toe) and pulling back 

• Heel drop, or standing on astep on the balls of your feet, then dropping the heels down, one foot at a time

• Calf raise, either on a step or the floor, to build the muscle in the lower leg so it is better able to handle the stress of higher impact movements

• Plank, which can also bolster strength in the calf

Corrective exercise can help reduce or resolve many types of pain. In ISSA’s Corrective Exercise Specialist certification course, trainers learn how to identify and correct some of the most common movement dysfunctions through movement. From performing a client assessment to developing an effective exercise plan, this course teaches you how to do it all.

Reference

McClure CJ, Oh R. Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome. [Updated 2021 Nov 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538479/

PATEL, P., & PATIL, N. (2020). PREVALENCE OF SHIN SPLINT IN RECREATIONAL MARATHON RUNNER. International Journal Of Physiotherapy, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.15621/ijphy/2020/v7i1/193672

Winkelmann, Z. K., Anderson, D., Games, K. E., & Eberman, L. E. (2016). Risk Factors for Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Active Individuals: An Evidence-Based Review. Journal of athletic training, 51(12), 1049–1052. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-51.12.13

Encyclopedia, M., & self-care, S. Shin splints - self-care: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 29 July 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000654.htm.

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