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Iowa | Shin splints is a term often used to refer to most any pain in the lower leg. More specifically, it's a soft tissue injury usually brought on by increased or new activity. There is some inflamation of soft tissue causing the pain. Usually it goes away with a little rest and possibly stretching the calf and other muscles of the lower leg. People with flat feet can be more prone to shin splints. It takes a little time for muscles and soft tissue to adapt to new levels of activity, so too much too soon can cause shin splints. Sometimes running or walking on a softer surface (instead of hard surface) can help. I get shin splints when ramping up exercise after a period of relative inactivity. They only hurt during activity and not so much while resting. They last a few days and then go away as things get adapted to a higher level of activity. Some people take longer to make the adaptations involving shin splints.
You've mentioned several issues that could also cause shooting pains in the lower leg. A stress fracture could be yet another cause of a sharp pain in the shin. An increased level of activity combined with possible decrease in bone density could cause a stress fracture. It's not always easy to find those. Given all the issues mentioned, it's not easy to point to a specific cause of the pain. The medical people you are working with (or people with a medical background in general) ought to have a much better idea of what is going on than I would. | |
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Possible Shin Splints and Can't Sleep
