Most runners will come down with nagging injuries or discomfort at some point during their training. One of the most common questions is, “why do my shins hurt when I run?” So why do they hurt? That’s a very important question and we’ll take a look at why.
The actual cause of the injury is related to overstress placed on the muscles of the anterior shin, or front of the shin (tibialis anterior). When either running or jumping athletes will sometimes over-stride and forcibly plant on the heel of the foot. This causes a whip like reaction with the distal end of the foot in which the toes are stretched forward and downward (following heel strike), placing significant stress on the muscles and ligaments that regulate your toes, which happen to run up your ankle all the way to your shin. Repeating this motion continues to stress the muscles and ligaments of the shin and can rapidly develop into a debilitating overuse injury. Basically, with a heavy heel strike you are giving the tibialis anterior a bit of whiplash.
Reasons why your shins may hurt when you run
There are several reasons why you may develop the throbbing feeling in your shins such as:
1. Tight Calves – having tight calves is one of the primary contributors to aching shins during exercise. The muscles and ligaments surrounding your shin bone (tibia) become inflamed during exercise and this is exacerbated by tight calf muscles. Consistently stretching your calves can reduce the discomfort substantially over time.
2. Carrying too much weight – having a heavy frame places extra stress on the entire body while running. Unfortunately there isn’t a quick fix for this. Eat a balanced diet mixed with exercise and work to trim down over time.
3. Hard surfaces – if you love running and refuse to stop despite the pain then try getting off of the pavement and move to a flat, dirt trail. Dirt trails provide a softer surface to run on and consequently place less stress on your body while running, including your shins.
4. Old shoes or the wrong shoes – if you plan on running then buy running specific shoes. This isn’t a marketing gimmick when companies develop lines of shoes designed for a specific activity (eg running, cross training). Asics, New Balance, Adidas, Mizuno and Saucony are just a few of the brands that make excellent running shoes.
5. Heel striking – as was mentioned above the heel strike is the primary issue. Try shortening your stride and focus on either landing mid food or towards the ball of your foot.
What you can do to alleviate sore shins from running
1. Rest – take a bit of time off and try to let your body do what it does best – recover!
2. Ice – the age old remedy of ice and elevation should not be understated. Ice two or three times a day for about 20 minutes at a time for as long as the discomfort persists.
3. Stretching – loosen up the anterior and posterior shin and calf muscles on a daily basis. Having tight muscles and ligaments will only make the risk for shin injury easier.
4. Anti inflammatories – over the counter pills like Advil or Tylenol will keep the swelling down and minimize pain.
Although many runners will experience this issue at some point during their training it’s something that can be easily diagnosed and remedied by following the above steps.
Have you experienced this issue before? Tell us about it and what you did to fix it.
Ok, I gained almost 50 lbs, but I’m 6 ft tall so it does not really tell that I’m fat, I know I am but it does not really look like it. My weight is 236, however, I’m trying to go back to 175 lbs. Anyways, I started running and when I run in the pavement, by the second lap, my tibialis anterior or front shin hurts so much that I have to stop and try to stretch because it gets numb, like something is compressing my muscles there. Then I walk one lap and then run 2 more laps but the pain is there. Then I started running on grass/dirt and the pain is not as much as pavement but still it hurts. Now when I play soccer, my anterior and front shin hurts and gets numb and soar that it’s hard for me to run, then after a while, say 15, 20 minutes, the soreness gets tighter and for some reason, the pain goes away, but after I finish playing soccer, is like if I regret it, because the pain is enormous, the muscles get cold and that’s when it hurts. I would like to know what can I do, any remedy, shoes, anything would really help.
Thanks
I have the exact same issue, down to the weight and muscle aches. I would like to know the same thing.
I feel the exact same way ! It hurts so bad I can’t even walk . Streaching it hurts so bad ! Shoes what to buy ? Anything ? I can do about 1 mike then I’m done .
I was enormously over weight. I at one point was up to 290 lbs. At 6’1″ this was really unhealthy. I tried running in normal running shoes and I ran in to the same problems as Ross and Jesse. I switched to barefoot running and haven’t looked back. It forces you to focus on landing softer and staying on the ball and mid part of the foot. It improves your stride and posture while running. I will never go back to running shoes.
I’ve been running barefoot (with the socks and with the virbrams) now for 6-7 months and I’m down to 250 lbs. and I only get mild discomfort in the shins if I run on concrete for my entire hour long run. If I stay on asphalt, grass, or dirt I don’t get any discomfort anymore.
im 15 and i play baseball. i stretch before every game. my shins dont hurt until about halfway through the game. ive noticed that if i run a lot then sit down, that when i get up my shins hurt even worse. my mom says it because i have flat feet. i dont have much of an arch in my foot but i dont know why that would hurt me so much. im slow and even if i run my hardest im still slow. im pretty good at baseball but running has always held me back. if there is anything i could do to make me any faster, i would be very happy. thanks
hi. i am 5ft tall weighing 140lbs and when i jog, i can feel my front shin does really hurt. what should i do?
This is very interesting. Today, after my 8th time running (trying to lose weight for a wedding) my shins are burning- and i stretch for 30 mins before AND AFTER my 2 mile runs!
I am not a miracle worker, nor yet a doctor, but I am a dancer and know a thing or two about stretching. For those of you with the shin issues – try sitting on the floor with your legs outstretched to both sides, as far as you can comfortably. (your knees shouldn’t be lifting off the ground). stretch to each side, from the back (use your left arm raise it straight up parallel to your right leg and stretch OVER so that you feel it from your lower back, through your back/shoulder and def the legs. after doing the other side, FLEX your feet, and kids, I am talkin hard. heels should be off the ground. after you’re warm from stretching pointed toe you should be able to get the palm of your hand on the ball of your foot and LIFT. Hold that sucker until it hurts.
I know it’s not MUCH and it will not solve all of your problems, but usually strain comes from A) overworking, yes but B) from NOT stretching. and stretch after too. can’t kill ya.
I have been running for years as my job requires me to (army). Lately, within the first couple of miles my shins start to scream out in pain causing me to have to stop for a short while which is getting frustrating. Normally run from 5 to 10 miles, stetching before and after. This happens mainly when the pace is quite fast, I have tried slowing the pace down but I cannot do this on group runs and it only eleviates the problem a fraction. When they start hurting, they go rock hard (shin muscle) and then when continuing to run my feet slap on the floor. I have trainers which are correct from a gait analysis and I try to train every other day to give sufficient rest. Anyone got any ideas as this is driving me crazy?
i just went for a quick half hour run for the first time in 3 weeks because i was sick, and was only ably to do about six laps of the park before my shins started to ache, i can barely walk at the monent its that bad, and i know that me not running for the previouse 3 weeks could be a contrbuting factor but i could normaly run (fast) for up to 2 hours at a time with no rest and would never get this problem
My shins hurt pretty bad when I run in PE at school. I’m 14. I wear vans during PE and we usually run on the hard wooden floors. I also play soccer, and my shins don’t hurt as much when wearing cleats and running on grass.
I recently started jogging using the C25K app for iPhone. I am 5’4″ female and weigh 182 lbs. I am trying to lose weight for my wedding next summer. I ran track a little in high school and I remember the shin pain then, but I think it went away after a while. I always thought they were shin splints. A few years ago I was at the weight I am now and started walking every day, sometimes I would get the shin pain but I don’t think very often. I was able to take off 40 lbs. which I have since regained. 2 years ago I started walking again, in the winter I would walk on the treadmill and again I would experience the pain. Now most recently with using C25K my shins and ankles are KILLING me. Particularly the left. I just got back from a jog and in the middle of the jog I read this page and tried to focus on staying on the ball of my foot and middle, it dulled the pain a bit, but I eventually couldn’t take it and had to stop. When I stop I have to limp for a few minutes until the pain goes away. I am starting to think that I am going to need to try a different cardio workout because I know I can’t put up with this. Or maybe I will just switch back to walking. Either way it is a problem I really wish I didn’t have because the rest of my body is fine with the jogging its just the extreme pain that makes it unbearable.
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I have suffered from terrible shin splints since middle school. I am now 33 and am the most fit I have ever been in my life. I run at least at couple 5k’s a week and do a lot of cardio-combat, weight-lifting, etc. A friend of mine, who is a chiropractor and athletic trainer, gave me a simple stretch that has been a miracle for me (after all these years of pain!). Before athletic activity, face a wall with both feet close to it and raise the ball of one foot to press against the wall for a great calf stretch (be sure the opposite foot is close to the wall to hold your weight). Hold the stretch for two minutes, then repeat with opposite foot for two minutes. Don’t skimp. He recommended to repeat the process after the run or activity, but I don’t even need to. Also, he recommended strengthening your lower leg muscles with balance exercises. Running on trails can help with that and eliminate some of the strain of running on pavement. I used to wear wraps on my shins, as did one of my instructors, and now we are wrap free and the pain is controlled. Hurray!
I’m 16 and was a swimmer for my high school team two previous years. Due to a busy schedule this year, I decided to run at home on my treadmill instead of joining the team. I noticed I couldn’t go half a mile before having excruciating in my shins. Is there any special stretches I could do to lessen the pain?
if running makes your shins hurt, stop heel striking. whether barefoot or in shoes. your calves will get tight but that is much easier to deal with. it worked for me
I have just recovered from having shin splints in one leg and a compression fracture in the other. I did NOT listen to my body and thought it was fine to just keep going and get a good strech/ice when it hurt. My doc did bone scans and found that one leg was about to snap. he let me heal without a cast but on good authority I would take it easy. PLEASE listen to your body if it hurts take some time to heal. Lose a bit of weight by cutting your calories and walking at a very fast pace until your body can handle it when you need a challenge find a nice hill that always helps kick things up a notch. Get a good pair of shoes and see a shoe specialist that will fit the shoe to you this is key. now if only I can get up the nerve to get back out there! I’ve got to learn to trust myself!
It’s really important to always focus on moderation. Shin splints can set in really early in a run if you have been sedentary for a while. Start with just one mile at a time. Do the appropriate stretching, icing and strengthening and slowly work your way up. I’ve me a lot of runners that have pushed through shin splints in the first 2 months of running and can now run 10 miles or more at any moment and never have shin discomfort. Thanks everyone for your feedback and for sharing your experience!
I’ve tried everything, vigorous stretching, ice, rest, and I still have the same problem. My left shin muscle, or ligament, whatever it is has been messed up for almost two years now. I can’t even cross my legs and put my right leg over my left leg. If I touch the shin area in my left leg it always hurts. And it hurts a lot during and after stretching. During and after my runs it hurts too, I can’t even make it a half mile without pain. It’s obvious I tore the muscle a year and a half ago, but what do I need to do to get this thing to heal? It’s not a broken bone, I’ve gotten a bone scan at the doctor’s to confirm that. It even hurts when I’m sitting on the couch watching tv.
Plz can u tell me why my loower part of my ankle hurt, ask the outside of both my shins hurt. My heels do tend to arch inwards slightly when I run, could this be why? I have checked on a website called ‘wiggles’ to find the right pair of running trainers, there is either ‘stability’ or ‘ motion stability’ trainers . So the other day I bought a pair of motion stability trainers for over £60 , now my shins hurt even more! Plz plz help I go to the gym five days a week I run on the treadmill for approx 10-20min max everyday. But this pain getting worse. It seems impose to get professional advise. Plz email me ASAP!!
I have issues with my new running trainers.
I never had problems with my shins in my old pumas, sadly i had to throw them out due to the hole i wore in them. I now have premier running reeboks which give me agonising aches in my shins after a mile, so bad i have to stop and walk. Im 27, athletic build and usually run 15-20 miles a week, well i did anyway.
For those with shin splints, my only tip is to find a better pair of shoes. I’ve rarely experienced shin pain while running, but when I did, it was because I was wearing a bargain brand pair of shoes. For what it’s worth, I wear New Balance running shoes, but I’m sure other name brands like Nike or Asics are perfectly fine. Getting properly fitted is key.
I had the same issue with bad pain in my left shin, swapped for a good pair of running shoes, started running more on the ball of my feet as Spode to the heels – problem solved !
@Tristan and @John – thanks for your feedback. Totally agree that sometimes it comes down to the running shoe. Also worth working on your stride to increase cadence (faster steps means a lighter impact), and focusing on landing on the forefoot instead of the heel.
my indoor track season has recently ended and now im running outdoor track. I am 14 years old, in 8th grade, and i run the 800 meters. Towards the end of indoor, i started to feel alot of pain under my ankle on my right foot. We run on a wooden track and we practice indoors, so the surface was very hard. After my indoor champs, it got even worse. i had to ice the rest of the meet after my race and i had to run an upcoming race because i was the anchor of my relay team. I didnt want to let them down so i ran, and after my ankle had horrible pain. Now i am trying to go on longer runs to get endurance for outdoor track, but this is very difficult because during my run my ankle is killing me and now the pain has evolved to my shins. I did some spped work aroudn my block today and now my knees are starting to hurt to!! I am 5’3′ and i weigh about 112 pounds so i am not overweight. I really dont know what my problem is. Anyone have some advice???
I had this problem running track. Turns out that my old Adidas Mega-bounce shoes were the problem. I went down to Runners Den in Phoenix and they hooked me up with some Saucony Ride 3′s and i never had problems again.
So it could be the shoe.
I play basketball and run track. my shins are in so much pain when im running that its hard to walk sometimes. if i stop running for a little while the pain is barable. Then i have basketball practice right after and it hurts worse. and it also hurts if i touch my shins. my trainer tapes them but it doesnt work.
I am 5ft exactly and back in high school I weighed between 100-105 pounds. Its been two years since i graduated and i gained 35 pounds!! Lately i decided to lose all of that 35 lbs and get back to my 105-110. I’ve ran before and i have ALWAYS had the pain in my shins afterwards and i thought that if i just keep running i would get use to the pain…and i still havent!! is there any other way to fix it? i have lost 10 lbs so far so 25 more to go!
Stretch Before and After running. various parts 3 reps each leg for 30 sec.
Hi, I play football for my high school and ever since I started freshmen year I’ve noticed my shins have started hurting really bad. But I fought through the season then during the off season I got plenty of rest and they didn’t hurt for a while until we started running again and now this year it seems to be the worst. We have two a’ days and what ever I do my shins are just killing me.
After every practice I ice both shins for 30 minutes, take pain relive, bought insoles to help me with my flat feet, and I also bought calf/shin supports. I eat plenty of bananas but the pain just keeps getting worse.
WHAT DO I DO!!!!
I’m a high school xcountry runner, and I’ve been dealing with shin splints since i began running my freshman year. The problem was i was running, two or thee miles, on the tips of my toes. i managed to get rid of the pain with some anti-inflammatory medication and contrast bathing. I’m beginning my junior year of high school and I have been running for the past few weeks to get myself into shape for the season and i feel a very small pain in my shins and worry this will again escalate to those debilitating shin splints again. I also just read an article on runner’s word that warns runners about the “heel plant”, now i realize what I’ve been doing wrong for the past few years and am really going to work on my form and ice my shins as much as i can. Ice baths seem helpful too so i’ll give ‘em a try.
I noticed a lot of people are stretching before a run, big no-no!! Your muscles need to warm up before they can properly be stretched. A mile run is a good place to start. Stretching before a run is actually what causes a lot of muscle pulls/injuries. As a cross country coach, I run my kids 2-2.5 miles before a sit down stretch session. This prepares the muscles for even more activity, and decreases injury. Shin splints are just one of those things runners have to deal with. Everyone has had them at some point. Ice those bad bears as often as possible. Ice before, and after your run. Get a good pair of shoes. You need RUNNING shoes, not cross trainers!! Big difference. Running shoes are made for just running, thats it. Spend the money and get a good pair. Asics, and New Balance are great shoes, (New Balance are made in the USA). Good luck !!
You could be flatfooted so using flat bottomed shoes only fuels the fire. Get some arched shoes and some gel insoles too. I had compartment syndrome in college from lacrosse and I was told to constantly stretch. Best stretch is to go find stairs and keep your heel on the ground and lift your toes so they are on the stairs. Once one foot is in place, do toe lifts then place your heal to the ground.
I agree…Do a little walking and then run a Kilometer or so first and then stretch!
I get them occasionally because of tight calves, if I stretch too much first it can make the shins splints feel worse. Icing and stretching after are great ideas.
I used to get shin splints and painful knees, I tried the good the bad and the ugly of shoes to no avail. I brought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers 2 years ago and have no pain anywhere when I run. I know they won’t suit everyone but they work for me and I love them for it.
I am 31 yrs old and started running about 4 months ago. Many of the stories posted on this board sound exactly like my problem. My shin muscles have been hurting so bad when I run and I stop to walk and they are so tight I have to limp. I have tried stretching before and after, bought 3 different pairs of shoes and spent many days disapponted and in pain. I went out yesterday and bought a pair of Brooks shoes and ran in them last night, and the pain still happened. After stumbling upon this website last night, I decided to take some advice from a few of you. I stretched my calves really well, and decided to try to change my stride, since I was striking my heel first when I have been running. Today I tried to not strike my heel, but run 1/2 way through my foot forward to the ball of my foot. I just ran four miles pain free.
I tried it all, stretching, changes in shoes, but never thought to change the way I run. It made all the difference in the world.
Thanks to you that posted on this site. I was ready to give up on running, and now I feel like I can keep going! Thank you so much!!!
Thanks to all who posted! I run everyday and have just started to get this problem! Going to change my shoes and do more of the stretching!
I was a dancer since i was 5 and i stop when I was 16 because my shins were splintering. I haven’t really done that much physical activity until now. when i walk or jump or do step ups, star jumps anything, i get the pain described above. So i dunno if my shins are splintering or if it is this problem. Suggestions?
I’m 14, and I hadn’t done any working out in a while. Recently, I joined my soccer team, and it’s been kinda intense. Practice has been going on for a while, and my left shin is kinda hurting me. Do I have shin splints?
I am 2 months shy of 17 and i weigh 185. when i run 1/2 a mile i can run any more because my shin hurts so bad… i dont have money for running shoes, and i cant run barefoot. I run In JROTC and i have to run a mile in 6.5min and i cant because when i get to my 3rd lap around the track i have to stop and walk cuz the pain hurts so bad. Would it help if i continued to work out the front of my shins? i found when i tap my foot repedatly it starts to do the same thing and about 20 min in to tapping my foot i notice my leg goes numb
I started to get shinsplints right before my first half marathon, which just happened to be my 3rd month of running period. So being a beginner my lower leg muscles were weak and just couldn’t hand all the stress and high mileage yet. The problem persisted for about 2 months. But in that time I continued to run because I couldn’t find it in me to rest.
In actuality 3 weeks of pure rest would of cured them but I didn’t want to not run for that long so I researched everything I could about them. The things I found that worked best was ice and a compression sleeve or tape if they hurt bad. The compression sleeve is amazing I don’t know exactly how it works so well but it really helped lessen the pain while running (I wish I had bought 2 and not 1)
Since then I’ve lost about 10 pounds as well, the extra weight certainly doesn’t help the impact. The best thing I can recommend though is look into your form, run a little bit barefoot or in minimal shoes to help develop a midfoot landing, land lightly and quicken your stride, this drastically reduces impact.
To conquer my shinsplints took a combination of things but the one thing I would tell people is just run lighter and fix the problem at it’s root, either your form is off or simply you need to strengthen your anterior and posterior tibias on your off days. I can tell my shins have finally started to adapt.
ok so i played some mini soccer in school/ gym, and i was basically running all over the place, n my shins started hurting!… this happen to me when i skateboarded too: i only doing small olies ( jumps on the skateboard) on flatground for bout 20 minutes, then my shins started hurting?!! was it the shoe i wear? i have these DC’s skate shoes n their sole is very thin n my feet is more exposed to the ground (their low shoes).. i think its the shoes, soo ill test out my nike zooms which are more elevated n more cushioned… THANKS
im 17 by the way for above…
Its been 5 years since I worked out. I recently signed up for gym. I’m 5’4 and weigh about 146lbs. First two days, I was fine. 3rd day on I noticed that my shin starts to hurt. After the 4th and 5th day I realize that once it started to hurt- I had to keep pushing myself. Once I’m 30 mins into the workout (baring the pain of my shin) it goes away and i can run again. hopefully that helps.
I am on my highs school’s cross-country and track team. And everytime I run I get this pain that shoots up my leg everytime I take step. It has also started hurting during my day when I am not running. Like when walking to classes it hurts. I have told my dad but he tells me to push through it and that I am being a baby. I want to stay in shape and I really love to run but the pain is absolutely excruciating. Should I keep running and wait for it to go away? Or would a doctor be helpful? Oh and I stretch and ice a lot but it still hurts.
hey guys, im 15 6ft tall and i weigh an exact 220 lbs. i play basket ball daily and do a lot of running, halfway through the game i have a pain in my shins that have me on my knees. but it isn’t muscle pain, and there seems to be a little bit of a bulge on my shins, I am a bit fat but not that i would look it, so is i was wondering what i should do, any ideas, the pain lasts for 3 to 4 hours after as well…