22 Effective Home Remedies For Shin Splints Symptom Treatment

Updated: 11/20/2019

Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), is a painful condition along the front or the inside of the shin bone. Shin splints can be a normal symptom of development but it can also be a warning sign of a disease that needs to be diagnosed early and treated promptly. So when you have this problem, what should you do?

There are many reasons for this injury. But whatever the reason for it, it still causes a lot of trouble for us. It interrupts the training process. Timely treatment is essential, but many people do not know how to treat it quickly and effectively. It is not necessary to be worried because this article will help you solve those problems. However, first of all, let's learn more about the basics about this disease.

What Is Shin Splints?

Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), are a painful condition along the front or the inside of the shin bone. Mild symptoms may be inflammation of the soft tissue or muscle, while severe cases may be accompanied by a fracture of the shin bone. This is one of the most common injuries in running, including beginners or high level professional athletes. This is a warning sign that your shin bones are having some problems. It can be a bone or joint reaction to changes in the environment, weather or climate, or it can be a sign of many dangerous conditions ^[1].

Most osteoarthritis disorders are quite serious so no matter what disease you have, you should seek medical attention and treatment with aggressive methods to prevent the disease from progressing. Shin splints is usually persistent, occurring at the end of the day, at night or when the patient wakes up. If the patient is subjective, they do not care enough to treat the disease, it will progress more severe and cause fatigue, body weakness, and insomnia.

Soreness in the shin bone can be a sign of osteoporosis that you should not ignore. People with osteoporosis often feel pain along the length of the bones. The pain may be accompanied by a feeling of chills, cramps, and sweating. Patients are more likely to have broken bones if they are not careful. If you regularly experience pain in the shin bone, you need to be careful as it may be a normal manifestation but it can also be a sign of many serious problems.

What Are Common Causes Of Shin Splints?

Here are the common causes of this problem:

• Excessive Exercise

Excessive exercise (walking, running, dancing …) can cause shin bone pain and fatigue. In addition, if you work too hard, such as carrying heavy objects or traveling continuously for long periods of time, your shin bone may be overloaded and painful ^[2].

• Improper Exercise And Sports

Exercise or physical exercise is a means of physical training and strengthening of joint health. However, improper exercise, high intensity training, or not doing well before workout can cause shin bones to ache, cramps or trauma.

• The Body Is Undernourished

The body which is lacking in essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B, vitamin D is likely to have shin bone pain. This condition is common in children, pregnant women and postpartum women, who suffer from debilitating disease.

• Bones Grow So Fast

Teenagers in puberty are also more likely to experience pain in the shin bones. The cause is that bone and cartilage grow too fast while the muscles do not grow at all. This is a normal expression so you do not need to worry too much.

• Weather Changes

As the weather changes, the weather turns abruptly, the blood vessels under the skin contract, affecting the blood circulation and nourishment of bone tissue, muscle tissue, synovial membranes, and cartilage joints. This can cause pain in the joints and shin bone.

• Injuries

In life, injuries such as falls or accidents can cause pain to the shin bones. The degree of pain depends on the severity of the injuries.

• Musculoskeletal Physiologies

There are some diseases involving musculoskeletal joints and bones such as myositis, osteoarthritis, bone cancer, and shin splints. In particular, in people who are overweight, their joints often suffer from high pressure so they soon suffer from weakness and soreness.

• Pathology Of Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic disorders such as obesity, atherosclerosis, and diabetes are often associated with complications such as vasodilatation, decreased blood volume. This may be the reason why patients with these diseases often experience shin splints.

What Are Common Symptoms Of Shin Splints?

The common symptoms of this problem are dull pain along the shin bones or in the leg muscles. If you push your foot down to resist this resistance, you may be in pain. You may find your legs strained, painful and swollen. At first, the pain stops when you stop jogging or exercising. Later, the pain may continue even if you stop the activities. Besides, you may also have a knee pain. If you are still running and doing knees several times, the situation will be worse ^[3].

You may have other symptoms not mentioned. If you have any questions about the signs of the disease, consult your doctor.

Who Is At High Risk Of This Problem?

Shin splints are common and anyone can get it. This is a common trauma for jogging, both for beginners and high-end athletes. Dancers and athletes often suffer from this problem due to heavy exercise regimens. To sum up, risk factors for shin splints include over-training on hills, running, poor biomechanics of the design of feet and legs, and inadequate footwear for athletic activity.

When To See A Doctor?

You should see a doctor if you have the signs and symptoms mentioned above, or symptoms such as:

• Severe pain after falls or accidents
• Shin bones are inflamed
• You feel pain even when you rest

In case you are being treated for leg pain, you should contact your doctor if:

• Relaxation, cold compress and analgesics do not help relieve the symptoms
• The swelling is getting worse

The condition can vary in many people. Always talk to your doctor about the best diagnostic, treatment options for you. Most of the osteoarthritis is quite serious, so whatever the disease, it should be examined and treated with positive methods so that disease does not progress to affect movement.

So you have just learned important information about this situation. Make sure you do not skip any information before learning about home remedies for shin splints. After determining that you have shin splints and ruling out the causes of your shin pain, you could take some possible steps to decrease shin splints from reoccurring. Bear in mind that certain other leg pains could mimic symptoms of shin splints ^[4], so you should consult your doctor about your specific symptoms.

These are very effective ways. Take a look at TrueRemedies.com!

Top 22 Effective Home Remedies For Shin Splints Treatment

1. Apply Cold

This is the first home remedy for shin splints for you to do at home. Apply cold might decrease the condition of shin splints. It works to lessen swelling and pain in your shin splints. The application of cold compress will cause vasoconstriction, or blood vessel constriction, leading to a reduction hematoma in your shin. Placing an ice pack on your shin splints might decrease the condition of shin splints.

What you need to do is:

– Take an ice pack to wrap in a towel, then place it over your shin. Leave about 20 minutes

– After each 2 hours, you reapply the pack as long as you see an improvement.

In case you feel it is too cold and your skin becomes numb, you should remove the pack.

2. Foot Massage

Among home remedies for shin splints, foot massage is one of the most effective. Foot massage boosts circulation, promotes blood circulation in the legs, improves metabolism. It makes your muscles, bones, joints supple and helps strengthen your resistance to disease of the body. When massaging the legs, the skin is better supplied with blood, and at the same time eliminates the possibility of stagnation in the veins.

It also increases the movement of the lymph. Foot massage increases muscle circulation. As a result, the bones are better fed. Foot massage can dissipate blood clots in the muscle, prevent adhesion of muscle fibers, tendons in the injury. It helps the tendons better nutrition and increase elasticity.

Massage helps to increase the range of joints, in the case of tendon sprains and tendons of the joints which helps to strengthen the joints, the fluid to increase the secretion of lubricant to joints. Therefore, the using of foot massage remedy as a treatment of shin splints will give you the best effect.

Level 1

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Use the palm of your hand to rub together then rub it all over your shin from left to right in a clockwise direction. Apply this method to painful areas.
• You implement this action 10 beats each time, then take a minute for a break then change direction, massage your shin counterclockwise.

Take this action for 10 minutes to avoid the shin splints getting worse.

Level 2

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Use your hands to squeeze and rub your legs in the direction of your foot to hips then change the direction.
• Made from 10 to 15 times until you see your legs warm up.

Level 3

• Sit up straight
• Use your hands to squeeze from one third of the leg to the heel.
• Use three fingers (thumb, forefinger and middle finger) to squeeze the area around the shin splints.

3. Apply Hot

The another must- try home remedy in this list of home remedies for shin splints is apply hot. The effect of temperature will promote the circulation of blood, reduce pain from inflammation in the joints. To make this remedy, what you need to do are:

• Mix the boiling water and cold water in a ratio of 2: 1 to create a warm water mixture.
• Add 200 grams of ginger to the warm water mixture above then stir well.
• Slowly put your feet in the water and massage gently.

You should soak feet in warm water for 15 – 30 minutes, this not only reduces pain but also helps prevent many diseases for the body.

4. Piper Lolot

Piper Lolot is very effective in treat shin splints. Piper Lolot has good anti-bacterial, anti- inflammation and analgesic effects, so it can heal your shin splints quickly without no side effect.

Method 1: Only Piper Lolot

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 20 grams of piper lolot
• Rinse the piper lolot then grind it by the grinder.
• Take the mixture above to apply to your shin splints area. Leave for 1-2 hours when the mixture get dry and reapply another mixture to the shin splints area.

You can implement this method until you see the result of this method.

Method 2: Piper LolotAnd Salts

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 20 teaspoons of piper lolot and 3 teaspoons of salts.
• Bake the piper lolot to soften it.
• Add salts to piper lolot to form 2 layers, then apply them into your shin splints area.
• Leave 20 minutes then rinse your shin splints area with water.

You can implement this method every day in a week for the best results.

5. Garlic

The garlic contains Phitoncid active which is a plant antibiotic that has antibacterial, antibacterial properties. Phitoncid active ingredients in garlic have the properties of anti-bacterial, reducing pain. The yellow constituent in garlic helps to reduce harmful cholesterol (LDL) and increase the body's beneficial cholesterol (HDL) to help prevent and treat disease.

Garlic contains 0.10 – 0.36% essential oils, of which more than 90% contain sulfur compounds (S). The main ingredient of garlic is alicin with characteristic garlic flavor. In addition, garlic also contains many vitamins and minerals … especially selenium. Therefore, garlic is used to treat shin splints very effectively.

Method 1: Only Garlic

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 8- 10 gram garlic.
• Rinse the garlic then crush it.
• Use the garlic to apply to your shin splints area. Leave 1 hour then remove it.

Method 2: Garlic And Wine

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 1 glass jar, 100ml wine 45 – 50 degrees, 40g white garlic peeled.
• Rinse the garlic, then cut them into small pieces.
• Put the garlic and wine into the jar then stir well. Leave for 10 days.
• Each time you use this method, please use a teaspoon of the mixture to mix with 200 ml water, then drink it in the morning and the evening.

You can implement this method every day until you see the results.

6. Onion

The next treatment in this list of home remedies for shin splints is onion. The onion contains a number of phytoncides such as allicin which has a strong antimicrobial effect, killing off infectious bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella.

Quercetin in onion has a very strong antioxidant effect, reducing free radicals, reducing aging. Using onion as a treatment of bug bites will help prevent inflammation, swelling and recover the shin splints quickly.

Method 1: Only Onion

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare an onion.
• Rinse the onion and grind it by the grinder.
• Use the grinded onion to cover your shin splints area and leave for 20 minutes.
• Rinse the area with warm water.

Method 2: Onion And Piper Lolot

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare a onions, 20 grams of piper lolot.
• Rinse the onion and piper lolot then grind it by the grinder.
• Mix the onion and piper lolot together then steam them.
• Leave for 20 minutes so that the mixture gets warm and use it to apply to your shin splints area.
• After a hour, remove it then rinse your shin splints area with warm water.
• Relax and reapply this method after 3 hours.

You can use this method twice a day for the best effect.

7. Ginger

This remedy is one of little – known home remedies for shin splints. Ginger has a complex chemical composition that contains zingiberene, phellandrene, ketones, citral, aromatherapy, capsaicin, diphenyl-heptane, and many other materials. In fresh ginger, the enzyme breaks down the proteins into amino acids that make food easy to digest and remove strands of peptides that are resistant to food allergies.

Ginger has the effect of warming up the body because ginger stimulates the vasoactive heart, strengthening the heart. Ginger, on the other hand, dilates the veins, increases sweating. Ginger contains antioxidants, inhibits the formation of inflammatory substances (Protaglandin). Therefore, you can use ginger to treat shin splints.

Method 1: Only Ginger

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 20 grams ginger.
• Rinse the ginger then crush it.
• Use the ginger above to apply to your shin splints area. Leave for 30 minutes then rinse your splints area with warm water.

Method 2: Ginger, Salt, And Water

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 20 grams of ginger, 2 teaspoon of salts, 500 ml water.
• Rinse the ginger then crush it.
• Mix ginger with salts then boil them with water.
• Use the mixture above to soak your feet 15-20 minutes in a day for the best effect.

8. Honey

Honey is one of the most effective home remedies for shin splints. The vitamins found in honey are B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and certain amino acids. The minerals found in honey include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Honey provides antimicrobial ingredients, preventing infections and balancing the skin.

Method 1: Only Honey

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 2 teaspoons of honey, 200 ml boiling water.
• Pour the honey to the boiling water then stir well.
• Use the mixture of honey to drink twice a day for the best results of treating the shin splint.

Method 2: Honey And Cinnamon

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 2 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
• Mix cinnamon with honey and stir well.
• Use the mixture above to drink to reduce the symptoms of the shin splints.

You can implement this method 2 times a day to help your shin splints recover quickly.

9. Green Tea

This is very easy-to-do home remedy for shin splints. Green tea contains high levels of flavonoids, antioxidants which is capable of removing dangerous free radicals. Green tea has been shown to activate the detoxifying enzyme inside the body to prevent the growth of tumors, and there is a connection between cancer prevention and tea drinking. Green tea contains other antioxidants called catechins. These catechins, especially epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) and epicatechingallate (ECG), can inhibit the growth of many bacterial species. By digging into the outer layers of the bacteria, EGCG and ECG prevent bacteria from damaging the pathogen.

Method 1: Only Green Tea

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 20 grams of green tea leaves.
• Rinse the green tea leaves then grind it by the grinder.
• Use the mixture above to apply to your shin splints area. Leave for 2-3 hours.

You can implement this method once a day for the best results.

Method 2: Green Tea And Salts

To implement this method, please follow these steps below:

• Prepare 5 grams of dry green tea, 4 teaspoons of salt, and 300 ml boiling water.
• Add dry green tea and salt to the boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes.
• Use the mixture above to soak your feet for 30 minutes to give the best effect.

You can use this method 2 times a day for the best effect.

10. Epsom Salt

This is the final remedy in the list of home remedies for shin splints. Epsom salt is a mineral compound in nature that contains magnesium and sulfate. Magnesium helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an essential role in coordinating and organizing many functions of the body. It also helps prevent arteriosclerosis. Sulfate, on the other hand, helps improve the absorption of nutrients, toxins, reduce migraine.

Using Epsom salt every week will add magnesium, help you feel relaxed, improve mood, reduce muscle tension and regulate heart rate through the regulation of electrolytes in the body. The chemical components in salt also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

To take advantage of Epsom salt as one of home remedies for shin splints, you only need to soak your feet with Epsom salts for 30 minutes in a day. This will help you to heal your shin splints quickly.

11. Vitamin D

This vitamin D can exhibit some exceptional anti-inflammatory properties. The lack of vitamin D could make your much susceptible to swelling and inflammation from injuries. Therefore, it is recommended getting the right amount of vitamin D every day. Consume the foods high in vitamin D like mackerel, tuna, oranges, cheese, soy, and eggs. Nonetheless, if you are going to make use of some supplements for this issue, consult your doctor first.

12. Pineapple

Anti-inflammatory properties of pineapple make it one of effective home remedies for shin splints. It is majorly because of the availability of an enzyme named bromelain. This substance imparts some of most appreciated and beneficial properties to this fruit, including the analgesic property ^{[5] [6] [7]}. Therefore, pineapples can be used to treat shin splints symptoms easily and safely.

Blend 1 cup of pineapples in 1 cup of water, then have this mixture once per day. Or you can also chew some pieces of pineapple to reap its benefits for shin splints relief.

13. Valerian Root

This herb is widely used for its anti-inflammatory effects. in addition, it also exhibits antispasmodic and analgesic properties, helping the shin muscles relax and decrease the pain ^[8] [9].

What you need to do is:

• Add 1-2 teaspoons of valerian root to a cup of water
• Boil this mixture in a saucepan
• Add honey and consume this when it is still warm
• Do this routine 2-3 times per day

14. Mustard Oil

Mustard oil is highly beneficial in strengthening injured muscles and shin bone as well. The nutrients of this oil helps increase the blood flow in the body, thereby preventing swelling outbreak.

What is more, mustard oil also gives a relief from inflammation. You had better massage your legs with mustard oil twice or thrice per day for a relief.

If there is not mustard oil, consider using coconut oil or lavender oil as an alternative.

15. Fish Oil

Containing omega-3 acids, which are high in antioxidant, fish oil can reduce inflammation to some extent, thereby relieving symptoms of shin splints. It is better if combined with massaging, strengthening and ice compressing.

16. Wear Supportive Shoes

Some sneakers can support your feet and shins upon exercising better than others. opt for the suitable shoes for your feet by consulting a professional when buying shoes so he/she could appropriately measure you and look at your own arches.

One important part when it comes to home remedies for shin splints is wearing the footwear which is suitable for your particular sport or exercise, plus with replacing your current sneakers after they are worn-out, which is often every 350-500 miles for runners ^[10].

You can buy supportive insoles in order to place inside your own sneakers once you are prone to flat feet. Compression socks as well as wraps are other good options that can stop inflammation and swelling around the damaged muscles and bone.

The above-mentioned home remedies for shin splints treatment are claimed to be able to reduce the symptoms of shin splints. Choose some of them and alternate them in your treating to see how effective they are. If you have any contributing ideas about our article of “Top 22 Effective Home Remedies For Shin Splints Treatment” introduced in Home Remedies Category, do not hesitate to drop your words below this post. We will answer as soon as we could.

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