Did they ever figure out what causes shin splints?

[Bertha Venation]

Back in my days as a student trainer (early 80s), there was a prevailing theory but no one was really sure what caused shin splints. Have they figured it out?

[Aristus]

1. Osgood-Schlatter syndrome.

It's more prevalent among young people, but adults can get it, too.

Painful inflammation, and sometimes stress fractures localized around the tibial tubercle, the bony prominence located at the top of the tibia just below the knee on each leg.

[LeftofObama]

3. I don't want to hijack Bertha's thread, so I'll be brief...

Is it true that the only remedy for a minor stress fracture is just to stop running for a few weeks and give it time to heal? I'm pretty sure I had one earlier this year so I stopped running for about 4 weeks and swam instead. I went back to running and now the pain seems to be gone. Now every time I go for a run I'm afraid it's going to flair up again. Is there anything I can do to prevent it from happening again?

[laundry_queen]

4. I thought that was strictly a knee problem

I have it in my knees and I always had horrid issues with shin splints as a high school athlete. So that's related?

[Myrina]

2. Oh, they are SO fun! :(

Shin splints, calf cramps, toe cramps, Achilles' scar tissue .... the joys of it all.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. I thought it was a muscular issue ...

Bertha!

[MiddleFingerMom]

6. I had Osgood Schlatter's as a teen (ALMOST the only age group affected) and it has something to do..

.
.
.
... with the cartilcage (or tendon?) at the top of the shin and just below the knee growing too quickly
(adolescent growth spurts - my knees grew little narrow "breasts" and it was hard not to scream if I
knelt on them or if they were tapped by something hard). It usually resolves itself (thank goodness --
it was PAINFUL all the time -- a deep ache)) when the rest of the bony structures catch up to the "spurt".
.
Shin splints are painful micro stress fractures(?) along the front of the shin -- the most common
cause being running -- especially in improper shoes and on hard surfaces (roads, tracks). The Army
INSISTED that their troops run in combat boots (and at my location, on COBBLESTONE street), so had
an enormous problem with shin splints (not to mention turned ankles).
.
It's a repetitive stress injury -- and most of them go away with a break from running. Most folks can
return to running with proper shoes or on grassy or "soft track" surfaces.
.
.
.

[CIT13]

7. It's pretty simple: repeated trauma to the connective muscle tissue surrounding the tibia.

Running, martial arts, gymnastics, skiing, skateboarding (stunt style), and anything that involves repetitive impact for the legs will contribute to the possibility of getting shin splints. There's really nothing more to it.