🎾 Shin Splints: Not Just a Runner’s Problem!

🦴 What Are Shin Splints?

Officially known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS), shin splints are characterised by pain along the inner edge of the tibia (your shin bone). It happens when muscles, tendons, and bone tissue become overworked—usually from a sudden increase in activity or repetitive stress.

🏃‍♂️ Common in:

• Runners (especially newbies)

• Tennis players (hello, constant sprinting and pivoting)

• Gym-goers increasing leg work too fast

• Long-distance walkers or hikers

• Waiters, nurses, and retail workers—yes, prolonged standing and walking count too!

📚 According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, shin splints are especially common when people change their training surface (like treadmill to pavement), use improper footwear, or ramp up their intensity too quickly.

🎾 Shin Splints & Tennis

While often linked to runners, tennis players are no strangers to shin splints. Sudden directional changes, stop-start bursts, and high-intensity footwork can lead to stress overload in the lower leg—especially if you're playing frequently on hard courts.

🔍 What Else Could It Be? (Differential Diagnoses)

Shin splints are common, but they’re not the only pain in the shin. If your discomfort is persistent, sharp, or worsening despite rest, it’s essential to consider:

• Stress Fracture
  A small crack in the bone. Pain is usually localised and worsens with activity. Doesn’t improve with rest like shin splints often do.
  (Imaging like MRI or bone scan is often needed for diagnosis.)

• Compartment Syndrome (Exertional or Acute)
  Increased pressure within muscle compartments. If your leg feels tight, numb, or painful during and after activity—it needs checking fast.

• Tibialis Posterior Tendinopathy
  Pain on the inner ankle and lower leg—often confused with MTSS but usually includes arch issues or flat feet.

• Nerve Entrapment (e.g. Superficial Peroneal Nerve)
  Causes shin or lateral leg pain that mimics shin splints but may have tingling or numbness.

  🔍 Using a Tuning Fork to Assess Stress Fractures

  At Newquay Injury Hub, I sometimes use a handy tool called a tuning fork to help assess if you might have a stress fracture, especially when more advanced imaging isn’t immediately available.

  Here’s how it works:

  • By gently tapping the tuning fork (usually at 256 Hz, the most commonly used frequency for this test) near the suspected injury site.

  • The vibrations from the fork travel through the bone, and if there’s a stress fracture, it can cause sharp pain or tenderness at the site of the fracture.

  It’s a quick and simple test, but how reliable is it? 🤔

  While not a definitive diagnostic tool on its own, the tuning fork test is useful in identifying potential stress fractures.

  🧠 In Simple Terms:

  • Sensitivity: It’s great at detecting stress fractures, so if you have one, it’s likely to show up.

  • Specificity: The test has a relatively good accuracy in identifying fractures, meaning if it doesn’t cause pain, there’s a high chance you don’t have a fracture. However, it’s not foolproof—other conditions could still cause discomfort, even if it’s not a stress fracture.

  This means it’s a reliable tool for narrowing down possibilities, but it may be necessary follow up with additional tests, like X-rays, MRI, or bone scans, for a more thorough confirmation.

  🩻 Should You Get an MRI?

  If the tuning fork test suggests a potential stress fracture, or if your pain persists despite rest and conservative treatments, an MRI can be an excellent next step. MRI scans offer a detailed view of soft tissues and bones, allowing us to spot stress fractures early, even when they’re too small to be detected by X-rays.

  While an MRI isn’t always necessary for everyone, it can be particularly helpful if you’re experiencing swelling, bruising, or severe pain.

  If you’re unsure whether an MRI is right for you, come in for a consultation at Newquay Injury Hub, and I'll guide you through the next steps in your recovery journey.

  ✅ Evidence-Based Recovery Tips

1. Relative Rest (not total couch-time)
   Cross-train with swimming or cycling. Movement helps circulation—just take the impact down a notch.
   📘 British Journal of Sports Medicine recommends reducing load, not eliminating movement altogether.

2. Gradual Load Management
   Increase your activity by no more than 10% per week. That goes for steps, runs, and rallies.

3. Footwear Audit
   Swap worn-out trainers, use tennis-specific shoes for court play, and consider arch supports or orthotics if needed.

4. Strengthening & Mobility
   Focus on calf muscles, Tibialis Posterior, and ankle mobility. We’ll assess and guide the right plan for you here at Newquay Injury Hub.

5. Manual Therapy & Taping
   Soft tissue therapy and kinesiology taping have evidence for short-term relief and can support return-to-activity timelines.

💡 Myth Busting

“It’s just shin splints—run through it.”
⛔ Nope! Pushing through can turn an MTSS into a stress fracture.

“Only runners get them.”
⛔ Wrong again! We see it in tennis players, dancers, hikers, and even office workers who take up walking challenges.

“Rest is the only fix.”
⛔ Partial truth. Rest helps—but it’s the structured rehab that gets you lasting results.

👟 Ready to Fix Those Shins?

If your shin pain is sticking around or messing with your mobility, don’t guess your way through recovery.

🎯 Book in at Newquay Injury Hub for a full assessment, hands-on treatment, and a personalised rehab plan based on what the evidence says works.

Final Word:

Pain may be common, but it’s never normal. Whether you're sprinting for a tennis ball, chasing a toddler, or hitting 10k steps a day—your shins should support you, not sabotage you.

Let’s fix the root, not just the symptom. See you at the hub!