Shin Splints

About the Symptom

This describes pain in the shin, or anterior aspect of the lower leg. Shin splints are a type of bone stress injury.

Possible Causes

Generally, Shin splints can be related to:

• Lumbar Vertebrae Disk Herniation

  Also known as a slipped disc, this condition is characterized by injury to the cushioning discs between the spinal bones in the lower back (lumbar vertabrae) that causes the disc to bulge outward or rupture. The disc bulge puts pressure on adjacent nerves, which causes pain, leg weakness, or numbness. Poor posture, exercising with incorrect form, or occasionally benign non-lifting movement are some possible causes of this disorder.

• Osteoporosis

  Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones weak and brittle. As result, the bones become more prone to break even with minor trauma or stress that would normally not result in a break. It may be caused due to long-term low calcium intake, estrogen deficiencies in women, and an inactive lifestyle.

• Neuropathic Pain

  Neuropathic pain is usually caused by an injury, disease, or problem with the somatosensory nervous system. This is a common long-term pain condition that greatly affects a person's quality of life. The nerves in this system are what let us feel things like temperature, pressure, and pain. This type of pain often feels like a burning, tingling, sharp, or stabbing sensation. It can be triggered by light touch or cold, and can be constant or come and go. It can also get worse when resting or at night. Neuropathic pain is often caused by viral infections like post-herpetic neuralgia, cancer, blood vessel abnormalities, alcoholism, diabetes, nerve pressure, nerve damage from surgery or accidents, and neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis and shingles.

• Sickle Cell Disease

• Lumbar Spondylosis

• Osteomalacia / Rickets

• Myalgia (Muscle Pain)

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Do you have shin pain?

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Song SH, Koo JH. Bone Stress Injuries in Runners: a Review for Raising Interest in Stress Fractures in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Mar 2;35(8):e38. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e38. PMID: 32103643; PMCID: PMC7049623.