Can roller skating cause shin splints?
Shin splints are a common injury that can be caused by a variety of factors and activities. Some research has shown that roller skating can lead to shin splint injuries due to the repetitive motions on the front of your feet, which can cause inflammation.
Roller skating can cause shin splints for a number of reasons, we will discuss the most common reasons for shin splints in this article.
Disclaimer: all the information is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a doctor for personalized guidance.
Table of Contents
What Are Shin Splints?
Shin splints are a common injury among skaters.
Shin splints are an inflammation of the muscle and tendon that connects the front of the leg to the shinbone. The pain is usually felt on the inside or outside of the shinbone, at or near its connection with the tibia bone.
The pain from shin splints can be mild and go away after a few days or it can be severe and persist for weeks. When it lasts for more than six weeks, it’s considered chronic.
Shin splint symptoms include:
- Pain in your shins when you walk or run
- Pain when you bend your toes up towards your shins
Causes of Shin Pain During Roller Skating
Shin pain is a common injury among roller skaters. It is also called tibial stress syndrome. The shin bone, located in the front of the leg, is one of the most vulnerable areas to injury because it bears weight during skating and has a little padding to protect it.
While this article will discuss the various causes of shin pain during roller skating, it will also offer solutions that can help prevent and treat this condition.
Have you ever questioned why I get shin splints when I roller skate?
Shin pain can be caused by overuse, improper form, and other factors such as obesity or wearing inappropriate footwear. Shin pain can be the result of a number of factors including:
Badly-fitting Roller Skates
Roller skaters know that the fitting of their skates is very important. Skate fit impacts their skating experience, so it’s important to find one that will be most beneficial for them.
A great quality pair of skates is key to comfortable and safe skating. A poorly-fitting pair could result in injuries like shin splints, blisters, and foot pain.
If the skates are too small your feet will get blisters, calluses, and ingrown toenails. With skates that are too large, you’re likely to get hammertoes, bunions, and constant irritation.
Experts recommend that you always use the right size of skates for a pain-free and enjoyable skating experience.
Your Trucks Are Too Loose
Engaging your leg muscles more when loosing your trucks may result in shin muscle pain. If you loosen them too fast without giving the muscles to warm up, the a higher risk of pain.
Just adjust the tightness on your trucks and try and see if the pain goes away, other ways to deal with shin pain- like resting and icing.
Too-soft Wheels
Double-check your durometer rating and ensure you are picking the right wheel thickness. The number stands for the hardness of the wheel and should correspond with other factors like your weight and skating style. For example, a 0 durometer rating is represented as A on a scale of 1 to 100.
Most roller skate wheels are rated between around 68A and 85A for hardness. Anything below that level will cause the wheel to wear down fast and could lead to shin splints.
It’s very important to invest in high-quality wheels. Wheels rated around 72-85 on the durometer scale are the best for providing a better grip, increased maneuverability, and maximized wear resistance.
Poor Posture
One of the major causes of shin pain during roller skating is poor body posture. This leads to intense pain and shin splints. The first piece of advice experts provide to beginners is to keep your body balanced during skating.
Remember to relax, release the pressure, and bend your knees. This will allow for the balance of weight and ensure that your legs are properly aligned with your shoulders. Your heels should be aligned with your buttocks.
Your Muscles Are Not Used To Roller Skating
You may hear a lot of newbie roller skaters complain about shin pain. The reason is that their muscles are simply not strong enough.
Well, it’s not an immediate worry because your muscles will get improved with time. If you find the pain is getting annoying, you can follow our advice on how to relieve it:
- Stretch your shin muscles properly.
- Put ice on the muscles of your shins
- Take a longer break before going to skate again
There are different ways of dealing with shin pain, but here are a few common-sense solutions that should provide relief.
You Had a Pre-Existing Medical Condition
If you’ve ever had a medical condition in your leg such as flat feet, it could hurt in the shins. This is a highly unlikely scenario though and it shouldn’t worry you too much.
It is important to understand why it will hurt to roller skate when you have a prior medical condition. It is likely that your leg muscles are already fatigued from your medical condition, so skating will just make them worse.
You definitely should see your doctor if you have any concerns about fatigue or pain during skating.
How Do You Prevent Shin Splints When Roller Skating
Shin splints are a common injury for roller skaters. They are caused when the muscles on the front of your lower leg, called the tibialis anterior, become overworked from repetitive stress. This can lead to pain and inflammation in this area.
The first step is to make sure you have good form while skating and that you don’t put too much pressure on your shins.
The next step is to use a foam roller or a tennis ball on your shins and calves before and after skating. You should also stretch out your shins and calves regularly during breaks from skating so that they won’t be as tight after long periods of time spent on skates.
Credit to Bob & Brad for this video on how to cure shin splints
We will discuss a few more things you can do to prevent shin splints from happening below.
Don’t Forget to Warm-Up And Stretch Your Legs
Shin splints are caused by the overuse of the muscles in your shins. This can happen when you start to skate or rollerblade without warming up your muscles.
Shin splints can be prevented by warming up before you start skating or rollerblading and stretching after you finish for about 10 minutes.
It is important to warm up before skating or rollerblading, as well as stretching after, to prevent shin splints.
Take Vitamin Supplements to Avoid Leg Pain
Leg pain is a common issue that many people suffer from, but it can be avoided by taking supplements.
Vitamin D deficiency is the most common cause of leg pain. Vitamin D helps in absorbing calcium, so if you are deficient in this vitamin, your body will not be able to absorb the essential nutrients that it needs to build strong bones.
There are also other causes of leg pain such as overuse injuries or nerve damage. If you have a history of these issues, it’s best to consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
We don’t recommend taking any vitamin supplements without proper consulting with your doctor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if the pain from roller skating persists for 2 weeks after trying all the suggestions in this article and your injury doesn’t improve, go visit a doctor. It could be a condition that needs medical attention. We hope you find the right answer to the question: can roller skating cause shin splints in this article
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