Why am I feeling shin pain right now?

Your shin isn’t as complex as your knee or ankle joints, but it’s no less important than these structures. In fact, your shins provide stability in your lower legs that allows you to walk, jog and stand. 

Feeling pain in your shin can cause you to become suddenly aware of this body part in a way that you never have been before. Pain in this area can interfere with your ability to walk your kids to the bus stop and walk around the grocery store. By interfering with these and other normal daily tasks, shin discomfort can be a greater burden than you might think. 

Physical therapists can take steps to pinpoint the cause of your shin pain. These medical professionals can also help you find effective treatment for a variety of shin problems. 

Three common causes of shin pain

1. Bone bruises — Many of us have developed a bruise somewhere on our bodies. However, bone bruises are more severe than normal bruises, and they commonly occur on the shins. It’s often hard to tell a bone bruise from a soft tissue bruise. Both issues tend to cause skin discoloration, tenderness and swelling. The biggest difference between the two is that bone bruise pain tends to last much longer than the discomfort caused by soft tissue bruises. 

2. Shin splints — Did you know that 20% of athletes develop shin splints at some point? This common leg injury is often caused by using your legs too much, and it often strikes people who suddenly increase their physical activity. The pain this condition causes can be either sharp or a dull throbbing. It also tends to occur on the inner side of your shinbone during or after exercise. 

3. Stress fractures — Overusing your leg muscles can also lead to another type of shin injury. Muscles that are overtired can’t absorb any more stress, so they transfer the stress to your shinbone. When this happens frequently, it can lead to tiny cracks in the bone, which are called stress fractures. Touching your shin or walking can both cause you pain when you have stress fractures. You might also experience swelling at the site of the stress fractures. 

Back in Motion PT is ready to help treat your shin pain

Are you living with shin pain every day? You can take steps to address your pain with help from our team at Back in Motion Physical Therapy. Before we can start your treatment, we’ll need to learn what’s causing your pain in the first place. That’s why we offer free screenings designed to pinpoint the root cause of your pain. Then, our physical therapists will construct a PT program that’s intended to reduce your pain and help you heal. 

Contact us today for more information about how we can help treat your shin issues or to schedule your initial PT appointment.