Is it okay to run through shin splints?
Running through shin splints often makes them last longer, so cut your volume, check for a reaching heel strike on video, and come back when the shin is no longer tender to touch.
Why running through it usually drags on
Shin splints are the shin telling you the load went up faster than it could adapt. Every run adds more of the same load. Keep going at the same volume and the sore patch stays sore. Runners who cut back early tend to be back sooner than runners who push on.
There is a second reason to stop. Shin splints and a stress fracture can feel alike at the start. Pain in one small spot on the bone, pain at rest, or pain when you hop needs a clinician before you run again.
A simple rule for coming back
Press along the inside edge of the shin bone. If it is tender to touch, do not run yet. Walk, cycle or swim instead. When it is no longer tender, start with short easy runs on soft, flat ground every other day. Add a little each week. If the ache comes back, step back a week.
Check the stride while you rest
The break is a good time to look at the stride. Film 10 to 20 seconds from the side before you stop, or on the first easy run back. The pattern often linked with shin splints is a foot landing well ahead of the hip, heel first, toes up, with a low cadence. The shin muscles slow that foot down on every step.
If that is what the video shows, work on it as you return.
Short, quiet steps.
Raise cadence by 5 to 10 steps per minute at easy pace. That brings the foot under the hip without any thought about the foot. See does running form cause shin splints and how to stop overstriding.
A video shows the stride, not the cause. Shoes, surface, a mileage jump and bone stress all look the same on camera. See a clinician if the pain persists, gets worse, or changes how you walk.
How to check it with Caden
- Tap Run a new analysis and set up a side-on shot. Film 10 to 20 seconds at easy pace on your first pain-free run back.
- Read the Where your foot lands dial. A low score with the note "Reaching too far ahead" is the pattern often linked with shin pain.
- Tap Breakpoints then Foot strike. Look at the shin angle. A shin leaning back toward you with the toes up means the shin muscles are working hard at contact.
- Open the Exercises tab. Start the drills at low volume, then use Before and after every two weeks as you rebuild.
FAQ
Will shin splints go away if I keep running?
Sometimes, if the volume was only a little too high. More often they linger. Cutting back for a week or two usually costs less time than pushing through.
How long until I can run again?
When the shin is not tender to touch and you can hop on one leg without pain. That is often one to three weeks, but it varies a lot.
What gets mistaken for shin splints?
A stress fracture, a compartment problem and a tendon issue can all feel like shin splints at first. Pain in one small spot, pain at rest, or pain that gets worse needs a clinician.