Replied By Stacy (Dixon, IL) on 04/16/2008
Is there anything that can help my teenager with shin splints? We have tried iceing the area and wraping the shins prior to running but this does not seem to be effective.Replied By Sal (Boston, Ma) on 04/21/2010
The only thing that helped my shin splints, as an avid soccer player, is Vitamin D supplements. I had shin splints and weak mussels for the better part of 2 years. I found out that I had Vit. D deficiency and three weeks after i started taking Vit. D and calcium supplements my shin splints disappeared completely. And I feel much better. I hope this will help.Replied By Linzy (Denver, Co) on 07/14/2011
I run track and use to get horrible shin splints. I learned from a coach that a lot of what shin splints are is your calf muscles pulling back on the tendons and connective tissues that attach your muscles to bone. To correct this you need to strengthen the muscles on the front of your shin which often do not get worked as much as your calf muscles causing the imbalance that creates shin splint. The way that I cured my shin splints is by sitting down and lifting marbles (or other small objects like marbles) with my toes and setting them into a cup moving just my foot up and down. This strengthens the muscles on the front of your calf. I would do this everyday while watching tv or whenever I had free time. After a couple weeks my shin splints improved drastically and I could run again. It sounds weird but it works and you will feel your shin muscles strengthening. Stretching a lot too is also very imporant.