[toc]Shin splint surely sounds like a broken bone somewhere in our human body but it really is not. This is actually an inflammation of tibia and its surrounding areas. The tissues that cover tibia that is the muscles and tendons also experience the pain and inflammation as tibia. If you want to alleviate the pain of shin splint you will actually have to completely remove the conditions that caused it in the first place.
The pain and tenderness felt in the shinbone area due to shin splint can actually keep you from enjoying the daily activities too. There are a lot of ways to ease your pain and discomfort level caused due to this disease. If you take further precautions then it will not come back. If you can successfully decrease the inflammation then you can actually go around ding your daily duties without any trouble.
Shin splints need lots and lots of rest. This is the best and most effective cure when you are suffering from this disease. This disease hits you when you damage your shin muscles and tendons. Therefore, you have to give them time to heal it. You do not want to cause any further damage to that area. If you exercise daily then you must refrain from your regular routine and also limit the amount of daily walking activities.
If you want to tape the shin area for better support, then you will have to shave or wax the affected area carefully. A clean surface will always ensure that tape sticks to the skin. You must sit with your knee bent and the foot lying flat on the table. This way your calf muscles will relax. You will have to apply the first tape vertically in the inner region of the calf muscles. The second tape will also be vertically applied to the outer region of the calf muscles.
You will have to remember that both the strips must be placed on the mid calf region. Then you must place a piece of tape on the bottom region of the first calf piece. Now, take this tape and run around in a spiral motion so it will end up over the second piece of tape. Cut the tape now and seal it properly. Make an "x" in the centre of the affected area. You will have to repeat the taping process till you reach the top of the strip. Let your tape overlap a bit.
If you want to cure the shin splints quickly then you must lower the intensity of your regular workout. You can lower the intensity 2/3 or if your shin splint is really sore then you must stop running, jogging and high intensity workouts for at least a week.
If you are really determined about your daily workouts then you must know this fact that it will cause more of a problem and you will end up sitting more at home. If you cut your daily workouts by 2/3 then it will definitely give your shinbone a chance to heal. If it is possible then do not do any high level activities for a week till the inflammation subside.
Ice packs and heat bags are an easy and inexpensive way to treat your shin splint at home. This provides speed healing in many cases. Take a soft ice pack and ice the area for at least 5 minutes. You can wrap an ice pack on the area also using ace bandage.
After five minutes of ice pack you can replace it with a heating pad for the next five minutes. You can repeat this therapy for 20 to 30 minutes every day. You must apply these ice and heat packs in the seated position or while lying down.
Now, you should definitely remain active but also take make it a point to rest every day and elevate your hurt shinbone. This will definitely help in alleviating the swelling of the shin splint. You should remember that the swelling is much worse than the pain of the shin splints.
If the swelling is bad enough then you might have to wrap a bandage on the shin splint area and then elevate the shin bone. Wrapping a plastic bandage or an ace bandage will help in alleviating the swelling of the shin bone.
If you are going back to your normal routine of intense activities like football, running etc then it is time for you to buy new shoes. These are some sports that require particular type of shoes for a better support of legs and feet. There are a lot of specialty shoe stores where you can go and pick up the right kind of shoes for your workout. You can also visit the big branded retail outlets to pick the trainers for yourself.
If you have to wear formal shoes or other footwear throughout the day then you might have look for the arch supports for curing the shin splints. The arch supports that you wear will give the right kind of support to your leg and feet. It will reduce the stress caused due to walking and will give a less load on the shins.
You can also consult a doctor and talk about getting shoe inserts and supports specially made for your feet. These special shoes can be costly on your pocket but are really ideal footwear for the feet for curing shin splints.
The first is heel walking. Here, you will have to walk bare on your heels, start with 10 to 20 steps at a time and then slowly increase your beat. You will find it easy and weird but later on you will realize that you are stretching the muscles and increasing the blood flow in the shin bone area.
The second exercise will require a golf ball. You will have to drop a golf ball on the yoga mat and then press your hurt foot on the ball and start rolling it back and forth. This will help in relieving the soreness of your feet.