What causes shin splints? I’m trying to find out the reason for the severe pain that suddenly happened to me.

It was one summer morning five years ago. I was just about to wake up in a daze, at that moment!

I woke up with a strong pain in my leg . (>_<)

My right shin was cramping up hard like a cramp in my calf.

I was patient and stayed still for a while and it went away….

I had a cramp in my calf, though it happened occasionally. But this was my first experience of “shin cramps,” and it was unpleasant.

Personally, I thought that shin cramps and calf cramps were caused by the same thing. I thought that if my shins were fatigued from running, etc., it would appear on my shins.

But I couldn’t say for sure, so I took the opportunity to investigate the cause.

If you have the same symptoms, this may be of interest to you.

What causes shin splints?

The mechanism of sudden muscle cramps is not completely understood, but

The causes are, broadly speaking
Muscle stiffness and poor blood flow.

Specifically,

Here are some additional explanations…

1 Aging

Muscle cramps gradually increase after the age of 35. It is said that this is due to an abnormality in the command mechanism to the muscles as a result of aging.
As we age, muscle flexibility gradually decreases and poor circulation also occurs.

2 Lack of exercise

Originally, the body has a system to prevent abnormal contraction when muscles contract, but if a person has a desk job or is chronically inactive, the muscles become weak and this system does not operate properly.

3 Excessive exercise

Over-exercising and severely fatiguing the leg muscles also puts strain on the nerves in the legs and causes the nerves to be in a constant state of excitement, making it easier to hang up.

4 Cold

Same as 3, cold muscles reduce blood flow, resulting in oversensitivity of the nerves in the legs, making them more susceptible to pinches.

5 Insufficient moisture

The body contains minerals (especially magnesium and calcium) that regulate muscle function, but sweating or lack of water can cause these to become imbalanced, resulting in abnormal muscle coordination.

6 Deficiency of vitamins and minerals

As mentioned in section 5, lack of magnesium and calcium, which are minerals directly related to muscles, as well as lack of B vitamins, which are good for relieving fatigue, and vitamin E, which is good for improving blood flow, can also make the legs more susceptible to pains.

And as for the question at the beginning of this article, after much research, I found that the causes and mechanisms of “shin cramps” and “calf cramps” are basically the same.

I am glad it is not a special disease…(^_^;)

Finding the cause based on my condition the day before

I will try to find out what was the cause of my awakening shin splints, which I wrote about at the beginning of this article.

I am in my 50s.
I have no particular illnesses at this point in my life, and I am in normal health for now.

My job is working at a desk at a computer.
My hobbies are running, sometimes around the neighborhood, and a little ballroom dancing.

The day before I got shin splints, I was…

Does that mean…?

First of all, there is “aging” (^_^;)

Then, it is conceivable that my legs would have been quite fatigued< after taking dance lessons and doing a 5km run where I was a bit inactive.

Running can cause fatigue in the shins. If your shins were tired from the day’s practice, it would make sense that the cramping would have occurred here.

Furthermore, since it was summer, there could have been a lack of water.
I am analyzing myself to see if it was a combination of these several causes.

Medical science says that shin and calf cramps are caused by a combination of multiple causes.

If you are a woman,

This can also be a cause of shin and calf cramps.

And one more thing… it’s a little scary, but other diseases can be hidden. I will touch on that in the next chapter.

When a disease is hiding

If you are normally healthy and have had a physical exam, there is nothing to worry about more than necessary. However, if you are experiencing an increase in shin or calf cramps, you may want to consider that you have a hidden disease.

For your peace of mind, I recommend that you visit a hospital.

However, if you are also concerned about hidden diseases, you should see an internist or a neurologist, or if possible, a general hospital where you can receive comprehensive care.

In particular, “arteriosclerosis obliterans ” has been pointed out in recent years. This is a disease in which the important large arteries that carry blood to the legs become hardened and clogged, preventing blood from reaching the lower limbs. In the worst case scenario, there is a possibility of amputation of the legs, and it is said to lead to cerebral or myocardial infarction.

Lifestyle to avoid shin splints

This would be the kind of life that does not “cause” what I wrote earlier.

A treatment center in Yokohama explained “stretches for people with shin splints” in a video. If you know this, you may be able to live a life without shin splints. We are pleased to publish it.

What to do when you have shin splints

There is nothing you can do at the moment of a cramp, but once you have calmed down a bit, the first thing to do is to slowly stretch the muscles. However, do not pull too hard! (Worst case scenario, you risk a flesh tear.)
You can easily stretch alone by putting a towel around the soles of your feet and pulling slowly.

Warming the foot with hot water or other means will also reduce the pain. Rubbing is strictly prohibited at this stage.

Then, carefully press the Sanli acupuncture point on the foot with the thumb to help.

At the end.

The above is all I have written about what I have found in my research on the causes of shin splints.
Many of them are things that could be improved by reviewing them in terms of lifestyle, and should reduce the incidence of shin splints considerably.

By the way, I have not had any shin splints since then.

I can’t do anything about aging (lol), but I will continue to take care of other things.

Please take care of yours, too!