- Muscle weakness: Strong leg muscles help keep your shins in place during running, but weak leg muscles can lead to shin splints. Moreover, when you have an imbalance in muscle strength, it can also lead to shin splints because your muscles will work harder in one part of the leg and weaken in another region. Thus, an excellent idea to prevent shin splints is to work out your leg muscles evenly and without giving preference to any muscle in particular.
- Obesity: Overweight people tend to overpronate, which can place too much pressure on their feet and lead to shin splints. Obesity also increases the load on your knees and shins, which leads to several musculoskeletal problems. Thus, the recommendation is to try to achieve and maintain a healthy weight to reduce the risk of shin splints.
- Flat feet: Impressively enough, sometimes a problem in your feet reflects in other parts of your legs, especially if you have flat feet. Some people have flat feet, which cause their shins to roll inward. Since flat feet cause shins to roll, this puts too much pressure on your shin bones and causes shin splints. Flat feet correction can do the trick and reduce the burden on your shins. Using orthopedic footwear will make you less likely to suffer from lower leg pain.
- High arches: High arches also cause shins to roll inward, putting too much pressure on your shins. It is also a foot problem that reflects on other structures of your legs. In this case, high arches are usually treated with orthotics. They are soles you take into your shoes and support your arches to correct the problem and reduce the burden on your shins.
- Poor running technique: Shin splints can also be caused by poor running form. Poor running form can cause problems with your calf muscles, which can increase your risk of shin splints. It is particularly important to look after your form and the running technique you’re using, especially if you’re considering running in marathons and other important events or preparing for them. This would make your body engage in repetitive work, which triggers shin pain if you don’t have the appropriate technique.
