If you play high-impact sports, overuse injuries like stress fractures and shin splints are never too far away. Because these conditions share symptoms, it’s easy to mistake one for the other. Let’s distinguish between a stress fracture vs. shin splint, exploring their risk factors, treatment options, and prevention measures.
Stress Fractures
These tiny cracks result from repetitive strain on the bone. Stress fractures mostly affect weight-bearing bones in your foot and lower leg. As such, military recruits and athletes who carry heavy loads face the greatest risk.
Risk Factors
You’re more prone to stress fractures when you:
- Play sports that put too much pressure on the lower body, like tennis, basketball, and running.
- Suddenly change sports or exercise intensity.
- Dance ballet.
Stress fractures may also result from underlying health conditions like bunions, high arch feet, and osteoporosis.
Diagnosis
While it’s possible to differentiate a stress fracture vs. shin splint using physical exams, imaging tests might be necessary for an accurate diagnosis. That includes bone scans, x-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to distinguish stress fractures from other soft tissue and bone injuries.
Treatment
In addition to resting your injury and stepping back from sports, you can benefit from the following treatments.
- Orthopedic footwear for extra support
- Casts and braces
- Physical therapy
- Surgery for extreme cases
Prevention
You’re less likely to suffer from stress fractures when you:
- Increase your workout intensity gradually to build endurance and allow your bones to adapt to the new routine
- Maintain a healthy weight to avoid straining your bones
- Increase your calcium and vitamin D consumption to strengthen your bones
- Warm up before training
- Wear supportive shoes to reduce the stress on your feet and leg bones
Shin Splints
Otherwise referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), this condition is characterized by pain in the tibia/shin bone—the larger bone in your lower leg. Although the pain mostly occurs along the inner shin bone, the entire shin area and surrounding tissues might feel tender.
While shin splints cause pain when running fast, you may not experience any discomfort when walking or performing other non-running activities.
Risk Factors
The following groups are more susceptible to shin splints:
- Runners, especially those starting a running routine
- Military recruits in training
- People with high arches, muscular imbalances, and flat feet
- Athletes who run on hard or uneven surfaces
Diagnosis
In addition to taking your medical history, your doctor may conduct a physical exam, feeling your ankle, foot, and lower leg for tenderness. They might also observe your gait and ask you to hop or stand on your painful leg.
The doctor may need to order x-rays and MRIs when a physical examination isn’t enough to differentiate between a stress fracture vs. shin splint.
Treatment
Shin splint recovery involves:
- Rest to allow your bones and muscles to heal
- Ice packs to relieve pain and swelling
- Supportive footwear to reduce pressure on the shins
- Custom orthotics to stabilize the feet and ankles
Your podiatrist can also prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve your symptoms and recommend physical therapy to strengthen your legs.
Prevention
You might not always prevent shin splints, but you can take the following measures to protect yourself from the condition:
- Warm up before workouts.
- Increase your physical activity gradually.
- Rest between exercises to heal your bones and muscles.
- Avoid training on hard or uneven surfaces.
- Wear supportive footwear, ensuring the shoes fit and replacing them when they wear out.
Stress Fracture vs. Shin Splint: Should I See a Doctor?
You should see a doctor as soon as you experience discomfort in your leg. Even when you’re not in pain, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor regularly for preventative podiatric care. Do you struggle with foot pain? Contact Foot Specialists of Birmingham to explore your treatment options.
