How to Heal Shin Splints Fast! – 7 Remedies That Never Fail…

by Tim
(Manhattan, New York)

Want to get rid of those painful shin splints quickly & get back to full intensity running & training in the next 24 hours? Here’s 7 of the all-time best natural remedies & home treatments for shin splints that work like a charm…

QUESTION:

I’m a professional athlete and lately I’ve been suffering badly from shin splints (never had this problem until now?). I need this fixed ASAP as its preventing me from training at full intensity. Are there any natural treatments or home remedies/tips that I can use to heal these splints and help reduce the pain when I run? Like I said, I need something that works quickly. Hope you can help. Cheers, Tim.

ANSWER:

Shin splints or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is an inflammatory condition that causes aching and pain along the shinbone or tibia. Athletes are of course the most prone to this problem, which typically develops after intense physical activity - particularly running – but can also be felt at the beginning of or during exercise.

The main cause of shin splints is overtraining or overworking the muscles, bones and tendons in this area. Running, jumping and exercising on hard surfaces with poor quality shoes, along with using bad form and not warming up and stretching properly before physical training, are the main triggers for shin splints. Training too long and too often (overtraining) is another precursor to developing shin splints. If you regularly train with high intensity and don’t take enough time off for recovery then you’re definitely at risk for developing shin splints.

I’ve been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 30 years and in this time I’ve seen dozens of athletes develop shin splints from overtraining. I’ve also been able to help tons of athletes heal their shin splints as well. It’s not actually that hard to do. What you need is a combination of external relief remedies to bring down the swelling and heal the bone and connective tissue from the outside, along with using certain internal treatments and cures to heal and strengthen the bone, muscles and tendons in and around the shin.

So basically, long term treatments and preventatives combined with short term quick fixes are the key.

Here’s 7 of the best that you definitely should consider…


Natural Remedy for Shin Splints #1… Rest: Yes I know, you’re probably thinking “dur Fred”, I already know this one. Unfortunately though, many “obsessed” athletes simply won’t take time off from their training. They’re afraid that if they do they’ll lose their fitness and conditioning. But in actual fact, the opposite is true. Taking a few extra days off will help with the recovery of not just your shin splints, but your entire nervous system as well (which is crucial). So you’ll actually come back from your break stronger and faster than you were before. Start with 2 or 3 days rest combined with the remedy combo listed below and see how this goes. When you return, make sure you warm up and stretch your lower leg muscles and ligaments fully beforehand.


Home Remedy for Shin Splints #2… Hot & Cold Compresses: This is without a doubt one of the best fast-acting relief remedies for shin splints. The hot compress gets the blood flowing while the cold compress reduces the pain and inflammation. Before starting, first heat up a hot compress in the microwave as hot as you can physically handle without it burning your skin (if you don’t have a hot compress then use a hot water bottle instead). Also keep a cold compress in the fridge/freezer and take this out right before you begin.

Apply the hot compress to your shin for 2-3 minutes. Remove then apply the cold compress for the same amount of time. Continue to apply the hot and cold compresses for 2-3 minutes at a time until you’ve done this at least 10-12 times. Keep in mind that you may need to reheat the hot compress again half way through the cycle (it must stay hot to work). Move on to the other shin and repeat the process. Try and apply this treatment morning and night if you can for best results. You’ll notice some amazing relief and healing from your shin splints within the first 24 hours, that’s how well this remedy works!


How to Heal Shin Splints Remedy #3… Get Good Quality Running Shoes: This is more of a prevention rather than a cure, but it’s still extremely important (to prevent further shin splints). Poorly fitted or cheaply made shoes are one of the biggest causes of shin splints. Invest in a pair of quality cross-trainer or running shoes that are well cushioned, padded, and fit the contour of your feet and under sole perfectly so that when you run, your legs aren’t jarring every time your feet hit the ground. It really is amazing just how much of a difference a pair of good quality shoes can make.


How to Get Rid of Shin Splints Remedy #4… Massage & Foam Rolling: Massaging the calves, along with using a foam roller, is another excellent external remedy for shin splints. You can easily do these exercises anytime of the day or night for some welcome relief. Tightness in the calf muscles and muscle adhesion's cause shin splints, so massaging these areas can help break up the adhesion's and reduce muscle tightness.

To use a foam roller, sit on the floor with your legs stretched outward in front of you. Place the roller under your calves and gently move (roll) back and forth. Do this for 1-2 minutes then rest for one minute. Continue to repeat for a 10 minute period. Be aware that this exercise can be a bit painful in the beginning, but this is actually a good thing and means the muscles and adhesions are loosening. Try and do the massage and/or foam roller exercise at least twice each day if you can.


Natural Remedy for Shin Splints #5… Calcium, Magnesium, Boron & Vitamin D: This is by far the most crucial remedy of them all. If you want to successfully treat your current shin splint problem quickly AND prevent further splints in the future, calcium, magnesium, boron and vitamin D are a must. These 4 nutrients are all essential for bone and soft tissue health. The fact is, once you get your bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments strong and healthy, you’ll never have to worry about shin splints and joint and soft tissue injuries again.

The biggest hurdle lies in trying to get sufficient amounts of these nutrients every day from your diet. Because of the radical farming methods used today, there are no longer enough of these key nutrients in our produce anymore, so supplementation is necessary. Get yourself a high quality coral calcium supplement with added vitamin D. Coral calcium is highly absorbable and contains the perfect ratios of all of these nutrients. I recommend going with Bob Barefoot’s Coral Calcium Complete. It’s by far the best and works extremely well for shin splints. Here’s what it looks like if you’re interested… Barefoot Coral Calcium Complete 1500mg. For dosages, follow the recommendations listed on the bottle.

In addition to this, buy a transdermal magnesium spray or gel and apply this to your lower legs twice daily. Magnesium in transdermal form sprayed directly on the skin penetrates deep into the bones and soft tissue to accelerate healing. Remember this, without enough magnesium, none of the other nutrients can be absorbed. You can never have too much of this vital nutrient so get as much into you as you can!


Home Remedy for Shin Splints #6… Turmeric, Ginger & Cayenne Pepper: These 3 herbs and spices are the king of inflammation relievers. Remember, shin splints are an inflammatory condition, so any way that you can reduce the inflammation is going to help you and help speed up your recovery time. Making yourself a delicious turmeric, ginger and cayenne tea each morning is an easy way to get these awesome herbs and spices into you. Here’s a simple recipe that I use…

INGREDIENTS
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon (not cassia cinnamon)
Pinch each of ground black pepper (to help with absorption) and cayenne pepper
Small piece of fresh peeled ginger or ½ teaspoon of ginger powder
1 teaspoon of raw or Manuka honey for taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender or Nutribullet until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and heat for 5-6 minutes (don’t allow it to boil)
Drink and enjoy immediately!


Natural Treatment for Shin Splints #7… Eat Cherries & Drink Cherry Juice: A 2004 study found that tart cherries help suppress inflammation-induced pain. And in a 2014 NCBI article titled “The role of cherries in exercise and health” it was stated that “cherries and their constituents are proposed to provide a similar but natural alternative akin to over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or analgesics”. (1)

So basically, cherries are a natural (and better/safer) alternative to pharmaceuticals for relieving pain and inflammation. No wonder they’re the number one recommended home treatment for relieving gout and arthritis pain! Cherries contain powerful antioxidants and other beneficial factors that help increase athletic performance as well, so make sure you don’t pass them up. Eating 6-8 cherries a day is the recommended amount. Of course, you can’t overdose on this fruit so if you want to eat more then go right ahead. Natural cherry juice can also be drank, along with consuming the dried cherries. Bon appétit!


So hopefully these tips and remedies help you out Tim. Try and utilize all of them if you can and I guarantee you won’t have a problem with shin splints again.


Good luck and all the best to you!


Regards,

Troy (Certified Holistic Health & Wellness Coach/Specialist)