Shin Splints

Do your shins throb and ache after your daily run or just sprinting to catch the bus?

It could be shin splints. You might hear a doctor call it medial tibial stress syndrome. The cause is stress on your shinbone and the connective tissues that attach muscles to your bones. They get inflamed and painful.

This common problem can result from:

• Flat feet -- when the impact of a step makes your foot's arch collapse (your doctor will call this overpronation)
• Shoes that don’t fit well or provide good support
• Working out without warmup or cooldown stretches
• Weak ankles, hips, or core muscles

If you’re active, you could get them if you make sudden changes like more intense, more frequent, or longer workouts.