Can I keep running with shin splints? 

While you could continue running with shin splints, doing so will make it much harder for you to recover. This running injury develops when your lower limbs are overworked. The hard pounding from your feet striking the ground stresses your shins, inflaming the tissues there. The more you run, the more you aggravate the problem and the more your shins will hurt.

The best way to recover from shin splints is to take a break from running and cross-train with low impact activities instead. Ice your shins regularly, especially when they are painful, to decrease inflammation and any swelling. Stretch and strengthen your lower limbs, too, particularly your calves. There seems to be a correlation between weak calves and shin splint pain, so strong calves may help prevent it. You might need to change your shoes or wear custom orthotics to control your biomechanics as well. If you’re having trouble with shin splint pain, let Dr. Darren Silvester at Next Step Foot & Ankle Clinic in Pleasanton, TX, help you. Call (210) 375-3318 or use our website to contact us.